Related Experiment Videos
Foreign accent syndrome in a patient with multiple sclerosis
Jacqueline I Bakker1, Suzanne Apeldoorn, Luanne M Metz
1Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Summary
Foreign accent syndrome, a speech disorder, can occur in multiple sclerosis (MS). This case study highlights a patient whose episodes of a perceived foreign accent were linked to her MS.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is a rare speech disorder where individuals' speech is perceived as having a foreign accent.
- Previously, FAS has been associated with stroke, traumatic brain injury, or idiopathic causes.
Observation:
- A 52-year-old woman with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) experienced episodes of a perceived Dutch accent.
- These accent changes coincided with other neurological symptoms that resolved concurrently.
- Speech and MRI assessments revealed white matter lesions consistent with FAS.
Findings:
- The patient's episodes of foreign accent were attributed to her underlying multiple sclerosis.
- Neurological symptoms, including speech alterations, resolved with the remission of MS exacerbations.
Implications:
- This case suggests that multiple sclerosis can be an underlying cause of foreign accent syndrome.
- Further research is warranted to understand the neurobiological mechanisms linking MS to FAS.