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How Is Foreign Accent Syndrome Diagnosed?

by — Last updated: 2014-08-23 in Nervous System Disorders and Diseases

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We encounter different people all the time, and based on how long we are immersed in a culture, we begin to adapt to them by unconsciously imitating their accent. However, Foreign Accent Syndrome is nothing like that.

Foreign Accent Syndrome is an extremely rare medical condition. Thus, diagnosing it would require a comprehensive and multifactorial assessment of the individual affected, so as to ensure that any other causes are eliminated that could justify the suddenly acquired foreign accent. Additionally, psychiatric evaluation is necessary to rule out any psychiatric diseases that could explain this syndrome. Brain imaging (MRI, CT Scan, PET and SPECT Scans) is also required to rule out any organic masses or lesions in the brain area responsible for speech, melody and rhythm. An Electroencephalogram (EEE) could also be used to analyze brain activity in the brain areas that are of interest here. Another key diagnostic criteria for Foreign Accent Syndrome is the fact that the any other organic cause or psychiatric condition (such as conversion disorder) should be ruled out as the cause of the accent change.

Treatment

The majority of Foreign Accent Syndrome sufferers have reported that living with this illness has not been a pleasant experience. People fail to recognize them on the street, and somehow they feel like they have lost their sense of appurtenance or belonging in their country, community and even worse, their family. However, Foreign Accent Syndrome is not a fatality, and as a matter of fact it is very far from being one.

There are chances of recovering from this condition with speech therapy and thorough and constant counseling.

With speech therapy, the affected person can be taught to move her lips and her jaw to produce better sounds when speaking. This would include a set of exercises that aim at improving the quality of speech. Counseling is particularly important for the affected person, but also for her family, given that Foreign Accent Syndrome can be an extremely distressing condition. For instance, the young Norwegian woman (1941) who developed a German accent after having been hit by a shrapnel during World War 2 was being seen by her entourage as a German spy; and this is particularly dangerous giving the political setting of a war during that period.

Prevention is better than Cure

It’s difficult (even impossible) to predict that you would go to bed and wake up the next morning with a French accent, if you are not French. But even though we can’t make such predictions, we can certainly decrease the risk factors that lead to Foreign Accent Syndrome, the most important one being strokes.

People who suffer from hypertension or diabetes are at higher risks of strokes, and having those two diseases makes your risk rise exponentially.

See Also: Language Development In Bilingual Children

Consequently, a tight control of blood pressure and glycemic index (blood sugar) should be performed at all times. Ensure that you stick to your medications schedule and take them consistently. In addition, it is necessary to adopt a healthy diet with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and foods that are rich in omega-3 and low in bad cholesterol). This is due to the fact that such food groups are cardio protective and are also good for your blood circulation. Maintaining a healthy weight is also necessary in decreasing your risk of strokes secondary to high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. And finally, for those who smoke (be it lightly or heavily), it might be wise to consider and take action to quit, as smoking increases your risk of cardiovascular events (heart attacks) and strokes.