Foreign accent syndrome in a patient with multiple sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
Foreign accent syndrome is a speech disorder which leads listeners to perceive the patient as having a foreign accent. It has been recognized previously after stroke, brain injury or unknown causes.


METHODS
A 52-year-old woman with clinically definite relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) presented with episodes of what was perceived as a Dutch accent along with other neurologic symptoms that would resolve simultaneously. She was assessed by a speech therapist both during an episode and after complete recovery. Speech and MRI changes (showing deep white matter lesions in the corpus callosum, left pariental lobe and left frontal lobe) were consistent with previous reports of foreign accent syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
This patient's episodes of foreign accent are thought to be due to her MS.
Bakker
Jacqueline I
JI
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Apeldoorn
Suzanne
S
Metz
Luanne M
LM
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013070:Speech Therapy; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014705:Verbal Behavior