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Updated: May 13, 2026
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Foreign Accent and Forensic Speaker Identification in Voice Lineups: The Influence of Acoustic Features Based on Prosody
Published on: September 27, 2024
A case of foreign accent syndrome
1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arizona Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
|March 19, 2013
Summary
Foreign accent syndrome, a rare stroke symptom, can be missed. Early recognition of this neurological condition is crucial for timely stroke diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Speech Pathology
Background:
- Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by changes in speech articulation, rhythm, and prosody.
- It is often associated with cerebrovascular accidents (stroke) and can be misdiagnosed, delaying essential stroke care.
Observation:
- A 60-year-old woman presented with a 3-week history of altered speech, gait disturbance, leg heaviness, and headache.
- Initial assessment attributed speech changes to a goiter, leading to discharge.
- Recurrent presentation revealed subacute infarction in the left hemi-pons and left vertebral artery occlusion.
Findings:
- The patient exhibited a distinct accent with Jamaican and Italian English components.
- Neurological consultation confirmed the diagnosis of foreign accent syndrome secondary to stroke.
- The patient experienced a second, more severe stroke in the middle cerebral artery distribution a month later.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering stroke in patients presenting with atypical neurological symptoms, including speech changes.
- Prompt diagnosis and management of stroke are critical to prevent further neurological damage and improve patient outcomes.
- Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for stroke, even with unusual presentations like foreign accent syndrome.
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