Abby Fender, a woman from
Texas who is 39 years old, experienced an unexpected surprise
after undergoing spinal surgery, as she woke up with a severe Russian accent. As
a result, she has been struggling with identity issues and feels compelled to conceal her true
origins to avoid uncomfortable conversations. Foreign accent syndrome, a rare condition,
was diagnosed by doctors in Fender's case. Typically, this speech disorder is caused by brain
damage, most often from traumatic brain injury,
stroke, aneurysm, or a central nervous system
condition such as multiple sclerosis. However, in some cases, the underlying cause remains unknown.
Following speech therapy to correct her Russian voice, Fender faced a new challenge
- she developed an Australian accent. Since its first description
in the early 20th century, foreign accent syndrome has been a controversial
topic among neurologists and speech experts. Despite the fact that only around 100 cases
have been diagnosed since 1907, a
few cases have recently made headlines due to their uniqueness.
In most instances, the syndrome results from damage to the brain's speech center,
the Broca's area, which is critical to our ability to articulate and use words
accurately in spoken and written language. The condition is more prevalent in women than
men and typically occurs following a stroke, although it can also be caused by developmental,
psychiatric disorders, trauma, or tumors. Cases of foreign accent syndrome can involve
changes in
the pronunciation of words, syntax, vocabulary, as well as variations in vowel length and tension.
There was no report of brain injury in Abby Fender's case. Her accent has recently shifted to
Australian, but the reason for this is unknown. She says, "I don't want to lie about where I'm
from, but sometimes I do because it's easier. Every time I do this, I feel like I'm denying
who I really am, and that's not a good feeling, but I get asked where I'm from at least 10 times
a day.
I remember once I said I was Ukrainian, and the other person started speaking
to me in their native language. I had no idea what to do, so I had to come clean,
but this was never a problem before the war." Despite undergoing several tests to uncover
the neurological background of her condition, Fender's efforts were unsuccessful. Her singing
voice, which she has honed since she was 11, has also been affected. She says she can't
maintain the same pitch as before the surgery and has taken on
a different tone.
Spinal surgery to correct a herniated disc carries a slight risk of spinal and nerve
damage. The most common complication, occurring in around 1-7% of cases, is dual
rupture. This occurs when the thin covering over the spinal cord or brain membrane is cut by
the surgical instrument. However, it is unclear whether Abby Fender had dual rupture or any
other serious complications during her surgery.
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