The Curious Case of Foreign Accent Syndrome

Imagine waking up one morning with the strange ability to speak with a British accent despite never having visited England before. This odd phenomenon is caused by a rare neurological condition called Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), which makes people speak with a foreign accent. 

It was first reported back in 1907 when a Norwegian woman who suffered from a head injury started speaking German. FAS remains one of the most mysterious diseases of psychology, with fewer than 150 cases reported anywhere on Earth. It offers a truly extraordinary understanding of how the brain responds to identity and language.

What Causes Foreign Accent Syndrome?

The most common causes of FAS are stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis and migraines. FAS usually manifests after a brain injury. Despite the name, FAS does not actually cause victims to have a foreign accent. Instead, it warps speech patterns, altering pitch, rhythm, and pronunciation to the point where other people are not accustomed to it. To sound more French or Russian, an English person might begin stressing unusual syllables or lengthening vowels, for instance.

Researchers state this is because brain damage affects fine motor control. Since even a slight neurological trauma can greatly alter our speech patterns, the condition makes one realize how delicate our speech organ is.

Illustration of brain regions affected in Foreign Accent Syndrome - Damage to Broca’s area (speech production) or the cerebellum could lead to FAS.

How Does the Brain Produce This Change?

Most FAS cases involve either damage to the cerebellum, the motor region that controls muscle movements, or damage to Broca's area, the part of the brain involved in speech production. The precise timing and coordination needed for fluid speech are disrupted by these injuries.

Interestingly, it turns out that FAS has no effect on language comprehension; patients may still have a good command of words and grammar. However, they have trouble pronouncing words correctly. Some scientists liken it to a musician who plays an instrument with slick fingers, causing accidental notes to be played. The brain's speech centres function properly, but "execution" is flawed.

Living With Foreign Accent Syndrome

To others, FAS is not a medical anomaly—it's a source of profound distress. Some have been mistaken for foreigners in their native land or even accused of imitating/acting. One old standby was the case of an American woman who woke up with a British accent after having a disastrous migraine. Strangers on the street stopped and gawked, supposing she was faking it, and she felt annoyance and exclusion.

Luckily, speech therapy can teach patients to learn their original habits of speech. Psychologists also help FAS patients cope with the emotional and social aspects of the disease and adjust to their new speech habits.

Why Does FAS Matter?

Despite its rarity, FAS provides fascinating insights into the workings of the brain. It illustrates the intimate connection between our voice and identity—by altering our speech, we can alter our self-perception and the perception of others. FAS research can help neuroscientists better understand language processing, motor control, and neuroplasticity (brain adaptability after injury).

According to Foreign Accent Syndrome, the complex wiring of the brain is used to construct something as basic as our voice. Speech can be reframed in an unbelievable way by a slight alteration in the neurological system, but to those who have FAS, it is reality.

Reference List  

Coleman, J.S. (2019) The Neurobiology of Foreign Accent Syndrome. Cambridge University Press.

Miller, N. (2016) ‘Foreign Accent Syndrome: A review of contemporary explanations’, Aphasiology, 30(1), pp. 49–65.

Van Borsel, J. and Janssens, L. (2018) ‘Foreign Accent Syndrome: An updated review’, Journal of Neurolinguistics, 45, pp. 1–9.

Whitaker, H.A. (2017) ‘Foreign Accent Syndrome: A clinical perspective’, Seminars in Speech and Language, 38(3), pp. 200–208.

MacDonald, C. (2018) American woman wakes up with British accent after rare illness. Business Insider.