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What if one day you woke up and were suddenly speaking with a completely new accent from somewhere you’ve never lived? It sounds like a movie plot, but this rare condition is known as foreign accent syndrome.
Hosted by: Brit Garner
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Sources:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/arizona-woman-wakes-foreign-accent-180968165/.
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5308805/
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Image Sources:
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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Areabroca.jpg
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Thanks to CuriosityStream for supporting this
episode! Go to CuriosityStream.com/psych to learn more. [ ♪ INTRO ] Whether you’re creating the perfect voice
for your next RPG character, or doing it just for fun, it can be pretty amusing to put on
a different accent sometimes. But what if you didn’t have a choice? What if one day, your accent totally changed
to one from a place you’ve never lived? And try as you might, you couldn’t change
it back? This condition is known as foreign accent
syndrome
, and it’s incredibly rare, but it can result from certain brain injuries
or conditions. A classic case of foreign accent syndrome
was described by a Norwegian neurologist in 1947, and involved a Norwegian woman known
as Astrid who appeared to develop a German accent. In 1941, Astrid was injured by shrapnel to
the head during an air raid. Her doctor noted that Astrid didn’t start
speaking German; her native Norwegian accent had changed to something that sounded German. Astrid was experiencing a
phenomenon called
dysprosody. Parts of her speech delivery such as intonation,
rhythm, and the “em-PHA-sis of each sy-LLA-ble” were different from those used in Norwegian,
but the content of her speech didn’t change. Her doctor also noted that the new accent
actually sounded like a mix of French and German; further analysis of her speech patterns
showed that it was a change in certain tonal features, not a bona fide foreign accent. The reason it sounded like one is that it
takes two to tango. Th
e patient starts speaking differently after
brain trauma… and the people listening relate that change to something they’re familiar
with. This phenomenon is known as pareidolia, where
we interpret vague information as being something we recognize. Like seeing a bunny in the clouds or a butterfly
on an ink blot, people were interpreting Astrid’s new speech pattern as a specific accent — even
though her doctor’s observations suggested it wasn’t really. So what’s the problem? If Vikings that train
dragons can sound Scottish,
does it matter if Astrid sounded German? Well, when medical professionals think about
how to treat a patient, a big factor is whether that person’s daily life is affected by
their condition. And this new accent impacted Astrid’s life
in a big way. She was a Norwegian who sounded German during
the German occupation of Norway at the height of World War II. Given the isolation this caused her, it’s
pretty clear that she wasn’t just putting on a fake accent for fun. Now,
there are a few different ways foreign
accent syndrome can develop. These can include brain damage or disorders:
for example, it can be seen in the aftermath of a stroke, or more chronic diseases like
multiple sclerosis. Some people may even experience foreign accent
syndrome off and on in conjunction with severe migraines. Your unique way of speaking is the result
of an intricate web of pathways that connect all over your brain. When these are damaged, the unusual speech
delivery heard in forei
gn accent syndrome can result. For example, Broca’s Area is a region of
the brain usually in the left frontal lobe that plays a major role in speech production. Damage to this region can result in slurring
or stuttering, and can also result in changes in the melody of speech similar to those in
foreign accent syndrome, especially after a stroke. But not everyone diagnosed with foreign accent
syndrome has a specific brain lesion. Sometimes the causes can be psychological
instead, related to condi
tions like bipolar disorders. In at least one such case reported in 2007,
brain imaging showed decreased activity in large areas of the brain that include speech. That decreased activity corresponded with
roadblocks to speech delivery. It takes a whole team of specialists to diagnose
and treat this incredibly rare condition. It can be temporary or permanent — and treatments
are hit or miss with highly variable success rates. Studying foreign accent syndrome hasn’t
just helped us understand and t
reat these rare cases — it’s produced insights into
other conditions as well. Researchers writing in the British Medical
Journal in 2013 noted that children with autism spectrum disorders have been documented with
accent changes that resemble foreign accent syndrome. And researchers are trying to work out if
that’s a coincidence, or if it tells us something about how the brain works in both
cases. Could foreign accent syndrome develop as a
consequence of autism? Or is it a totally unrelated occu
rrence? If they are related, it could mean that what
we know about foreign accent syndrome could help us map out the brain changes that occur
with autism, possibly leading to new diagnostic methods and therapies. There have only been around one hundred cases
of foreign accent syndrome documented since the first case was described in 1907. This is a rare phenomenon, and you’re probably
not going to wake up tomorrow with a new accent. But this bizarre condition illustrates that
the consequences of
brain disorders and damage can manifest in really unexpected ways. And our brains are so complex and interconnected
that studying one, super-rare disorder can lead to a better understanding of another
that affects way more people. We know you guys like to stay on top of all
the latest and greatest developments in science and technology. That’s why today, we’re supported by CuriosityStream,
a subscription streaming service that offers over 2,400 documentaries and nonfiction
titles from some of
the world's best filmmakers. They’ll help you stay on top of all kinds
of fascinating topics, covering science, nature, history, technology, society and lifestyle. For example, if you want a recap of some of
the best recent scientific discoveries, check out Top Science Stories of 2018. From space to archaeology, it’ll help you
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your curiosity. [ ♪OUTRO ]
Comments
Go to http://curiositystream.com/psych to start streaming Science Stories of 2018. Use the promo code ‘psych’ during the sign-up process to get your first 31 days free!
That awkward moment you binge watch a show with people with accents, and people start noting you’re speaking weird after it.
I didn't realize this was so rare, a friend of mine started speaking with a French-Canadian accent after a stroke. It's actually really sad how many people think she's "faking it for attention", it always amazes me how ignorant people can be when it comes to mental illness and other things involving the brain. No one ever automatically assumes someone wearing a cast is just "pretending they broke there arm for attention" or calls a diabetic a drug addict for having an "insulin dependency".
Oh man, having a German accent in Norway in the 40s would not have been a pleasant experience :S
I see why Hank didn't do this one, John would have never let him live it down
"em-PHA-sis of each sy-LLA-ble" lol!!!
If I'm working very hard to understand someone's accent that I'm having a conversation with, sometimes I unintentionally will adopt the accent when I say something. Probably not this, but awkward nonetheless when we both notice it
Is there something similar to this where you pick up an accent easily? I spent two weeks in Ireland, when I was 19, and came back with a rich Irish accent that took me a week to get rid of. I couldn’t control it and had to really concentrate to make it go away.
How amazingly weird can the brain be. You get such intense migraines that you start speaking with what sounds like a foreign accent.
So you're saying if I want a great new accent for my D&D character, I should give myself head trauma until I get the right one?
Are we supposed to see a butterfly? Becouse I'm seeing a hellish vampire moth
I'm Norwegian and often I'll suddenly switch to a Scottish-sounding accent. Always attributed it to me moving all around the country growing up, picking up a mixed dialect (Norway has like fifteen dozen dialects or summat).
I'm autistic and it's not uncommon for my accent to change during conversations. it doesn't happen everytime but it's no surprise when it dose. I also have cerebral palsy. while it mostly effects my hands and lower back, my speech is also effected by the occasional muscle spasm . so I would not be surprise if Foreign accent syndrome can be linked to CP as well.
My 2 daughters are autistic and the oldest (that speaks Québécois French just like me and her mom) sometimes speaks with a French from France accent when she's nervous or didn't sleep well.....
As a West-Coast Canadian, I do find myself sometimes switching to a (Texan?) southern accent. It happens a lot after I jokingly say a phrase in it, and then it's a darn pain to turn it off.
3:16 ''Hit or miss'' My brain: I guess they never miss, huh?
Very interesting video. Some years ago I heard a news story of someone that had a stroke and promptly began speaking with a British accent. Rather strange side effect. Had this happened a few centuries ago, the stroke victim might have been burned as being possessed or being demonic. Something to think about, and how far we've come.
i get so excited to see you're hosting the video, haha. you're very charismatic!!
i speak klingon with a hawaiian accent
Thank you for that how to train your dragon refrence. Love the franchise, but that has always been a bit odd. The video topic is really interesting and well made as well