What do we know about Foreign Accent Syndrome? – Letter to the Editor

Abstract

Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is a speech disorder with sudden changes in speech patterns resulting in affected people perceived to have a new non-native accent. Characteristic changes in language concluded in interviews provide some initial insight into the syndrome.¹ The control group (without disorders) had normal speech and grammar, patients with language-speech disorders faced difficulty in speaking whereas FAS patients were labelled ‘foreign’ due to frequent hesitation, slow speech, inappropriate grammar and word selection.¹ A great deal of time has been dedicated to understanding FAS, however, a varied patient presentation and underlying pathophysiology has led to difficulties in diagnosing the disorder and evaluating its true epidemiology.