• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
cropped-rhj-header-logo-transparent-background-e1619110790271.png

Radio Health Journal

The latest in health, science, technology, and the intersection of medicine and public policy.

  • Home
  • Archive
    • Full Segment Archive
    • Advanced Search
    • Filters
    • Recent Segments
    • Segment Type
      • Feature Stories
      • Inside Looks
      • Medical Notes
    • Taxonomies
      • Books & Publications
      • Guests
      • Institutions & Organizations
      • Medical Conditions
      • Medical Journals
      • Program Numbers
      • Topics Archive
  • How to Listen
    • Podcast & Other Digital Outlets
    • Terrestrial Broadcast
    • Ways to Listen Overview
  • About
    • About Radio Health Journal
    • Contact Us
    • FAQ
    • Our Team
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Login
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Benefits of Being an Affiliate
    • More About Syndicated Radio Programming
    • Public Affairs & FCC Requirements FAQ
    • Sample Programs

Foreign Accent Syndrome

You are here: Home / Archive / Feature Stories / Foreign Accent Syndrome
Published: April 13, 2020 by RHJ Producer

In a medical emergency that results in a brain injury, due to stroke or other trauma, there are a number of health complications that can affect the patient. One of the more well-known is aphasia–the loss of the ability to understand and express speech and language. However, most people are unaware that once aphasia wears off, patients may be left with other conditions. One of those conditions is foreign accent syndrome.

Dr. Jack Ryalls, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at University of Central Florida, explains that, despite the name, research shows that these patients’ new way of speaking is actually not an accent at all.

Dr. Sheila Blumstein, Albert D. Mead Professor of Cognitive Linguistics and Psychological Sciences at Brown University, agrees with Dr. Ryalls. She says that, in actuality, people who suffer from foreign accent syndrome have simply developed slight variations in how they pronounce words, which indicates to those listening to them that they have an accent.

So, what’s the long term prognosis for those who suffer from foreign accent syndrome? Dr. Ryalls says that chances of recovery are very slim–only about 30% of people are able to recover their “old accent” or way of speaking. For most, therapy and other treatment is ineffective.

Unfortunately, people with foreign accent syndrome are likely to experience distress. Dr. Blumstein explains that how an individual sounds and speaks contributes a lot to their identity. That means the syndrome often affect a person’s perception of oneself. Distress can be furthered by the change in how one is perceived in their environment, such as people often assuming they are from foreign countries.

While many people do not recover, it is possible. Researchers continue to examine the rare cases in which the old way of speaking is recovered, hoping to improve the chances of recovery for others in the future.


Guest Information:

  • Dr. Sheila Blumstein, Professor Emerita of Cognitive Linguistics and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
  • Dr. Jack Ryalls, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Central Florida
Program #: 18-16| 20-15Segment Type: Feature StoriesTopics: Brain Function| Cognitive and Neural Sciences| Communication| Disabilities| Emergency Medicine and First Responders| Gender and Identity| Head/Brain Injury| Health Care| Injury| Language| Myths| Neuroscience and Neurology| Psychology and Psychiatry| Recovery| Research and Clinical Trials| Social Isolation and Loneliness| Speech Pathology| Symptoms| Therapy| Trauma| Undiagnosed and Mystery IllnessMedical Conditions: Aphasia| Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)| Foreign Accent Syndrome| StrokeGuests: Dr. Jack Ryalls| Dr. Sheila BlumsteinInstitutions & Organizations: Brown University| University of Central FloridaProducers: Jason Dickey
  • 105Share on Facebook
  • 99Share on Twitter
  • 66Share on Instagram
  • 54Share on LinkedIn
  • 77Share on Pinterest
  • 44Share on Reddit
  • 137Share on Email

Related Segments:

Hand Washing and Handshake Bans

Hand Washing and Handshake Bans (2020)

Silent Heart Attack

Does Prenatal Fluoride Lower IQ?

Does Prenatal Fluoride Lower IQ?

Staying Calm in Stressful Times

Staying Calm in Stressful Times

Knee Replacements

Knee Replacements (2019)

Does A Good Bedside Manner Save Lives?

Previous Post:Medical Notes: Week of April 12, 2020
Next Post:Domestic Abuse and the PandemicDomestic Abuse and the Pandemic

About RHJ Producer

Since 1992, Radio Health Journal has been bringing listeners useful, verifiable information they can trust and rely on in the fields of medicine, science & technology, research, and the intersection of health & public policy. Both Radio Health Journal and sister show Viewpoints Radio are AURN productions.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar


AURN Podcasts


Trending Topics

Public Health and Public Safety

Research and Clinical Trials

Health Care

News and Headlines

Mental Health

Behavioral Science

Family and Interpersonal Relationships

Covid-19 Pandemic

Technology

Nutrition and Diet


Latest Headlines

Medical Notes: How Our Genetics Can Predict Our Future, Climate Change Is Worsening Seasonal Allergies, And Why Research Excludes Pregnant Women

Medical Notes: How Vitamin D Can Fight Your Allergies, America’s Impending Population Shortage, And The Care Disparity With Dementia Patients

Medical Notes: The Best Place To Live For Your Brain Health, Reducing Animal Testing, And Why You Should Skip Your Afternoon Nap

Medical Notes: Your Humidifier Is Making You Sick, Global Warming Is Messing Up Your Gut, And Do Cancer Vaccines Work?

Medical Notes: Human Blood Can Poison Mosquitoes, Why Soup Is Good For Pregnancy, And How Trees Keep Communities Healthy


Most Discussed

Empty Nose Syndrome: When a Routine Nose Surgery Goes Wrong

Lewy Body Dementia

Can IUDs and Other Contraceptives Trigger Autoimmune Disease?

Can IUDs & Other Contraceptives Trigger Autoimmune Disease?


Covid-19 Pandemic

Children Are The Future, So Why Is Childcare Breaking Down?

Public Health And Politics: A Look At The Mistakes Made During The Pandemic

How the mRNA Vaccine Has Revolutionized Infectious Disease Prevention


Check out our sister show Viewpoints Radio

  • Culture Crash: Why It’s Time To Rethink How You Read
  • Viewpoints Explained: What Tariffs Are Quietly Triggering Across America
  • Misinformation Nation: Conspiracy Theories In The Digital Age
  • Outsmarting The System: Standing Out In Today’s Tough Job Market
  • Culture Crash: Why Everyone Should Watch “CONCLAVE”
  • Viewpoints Explained: Inside The Struggles Of Walgreens, CVS, And The Modern Drugstore
  • A Life In Chess: Susan Polgar’s Groundbreaking Journey
  • Separating Fact From Fiction: The Truth About Autism
  • Culture Crash: Why “Black Mirror” Is Unlike Anything Else On TV

Archives

↑

Stay up-to-date on the latest trends in public health, science, tech, research & more.

Enter your email address to get notifications & instant access to new Radio Health Journal segments as they are released.

Name
Email
Become an affiliate

Start airing Radio Health Journal on your platform to satisfy FCC OPIF requirements, including quarterly issues/programming reports.

Become an Affiliate

Connect

Interact with us by sharing comments, favorite segments, questions or even suggest a topic.

  • Facebook link
  • Twitter link
  • Instagram link
  • Pinterest link
  • Spotify link
  • YouTube channel link
  • rss feed link
  • contactemail

American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) logo

Listen

Archive

Broadcast

Guests

Podcast & Digital Outlets

Recently Aired

Taxonomies

Topics

Ways to Listen

Learn

About Us

Affiliates

Contact Info

FAQ

Our Team

Public Affairs & FCC Requirements

AURN.com

Sitemap

© Copyright 2024 – American Urban Radio Networks | All Rights Reserved

↑ Return to top

Radio Health Journal Newsletter SignupStay up-to-date on the latest trends in public health, science, tech, research & more.

Subscribe to get the latest from Radio Health Journal directly in your inbox.

Name
[email protected]