What is Foreign Language Syndrome?

Foreign language syndrome is a language problem that has not yet been widely demonstrated. But on the other hand, this problem can also suggest serious nerve damage. And there are documented examples of linking this problem to mental disorders.

There are many problems associated with speech disorders, some of which are actually quite common. On the other hand, there is a rarer and more interesting form of the problem known as foreign language syndrome. In today’s article, let’s find out what foreign language syndrome is and what its causes are!

What is Foreign Language Syndrome?

Foreign language syndrome is a unique form of speech disorder. And the first recorded case dates back to 1907. Patients suffering from this language disorder speak in an accent different from their native language, so they feel like they are talking to a foreign person because they are talking to that person.

Foreign language syndrome not only limits the pronunciation of words but can also impair the syntactic and vocabulary skills of people with this syndrome. Also, there are reports that it affects the length of sentences. Oddly enough, in many cases, the accent of people with this syndrome tends to be from a country they’ve never been to.

Causes of Foreign Language Syndrome

For a long time, experts have limited the problem to neurological problems. In other words, they linked the problem to the condition in which the brain damage occurred, such as a stroke. However, there are cases of foreign language syndrome caused by psychiatric or mixed factors.

neurological causes

Although neurological causes are a major trigger for foreign language syndrome, we still don’t know the exact mechanism that triggers this problem. Various neurological observation techniques have demonstrated damage to several areas of the brain, namely, motor and language areas of the dominant cerebral hemisphere.

Also, besides stroke, there are other situations that can damage this area of ​​the brain, among which we would like to highlight:

• head injury
• aneurism
• multiple sclerosis
• brain tumor

Cerebrovascular disorders leave several sequelae, such as foreign language syndrome.

psychiatric causes

Over the past few years, patients with foreign language syndrome have been reported without signs of brain damage. By experiencing mental or psychological distress, the patients showed that the problem was far more complex than we thought.

And experts point to psychosis, conversion disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia as the main psychiatric disorders associated with this syndrome. In certain psychotic cases, the new accent adopted by the patient is maintained throughout the duration of the seizure. However, these accents usually subside as the seizure subsides.

complex causes

In this case, it is difficult to pinpoint one specific cause because the patient usually first experiences neurological impairment and later mental disorder. We define this as a loss of identity and the development of a new personality.

And on the one hand, it is worth emphasizing that variants of the foreign language syndrome are associated with development and growth. In fact, there is evidence that patients experiencing this problem did not show any signs of brain damage or psychological disorders.

Symptoms of Foreign Language Syndrome

This novel syndrome is characterized by changes in the patient’s pronunciation, which the patient may not notice. In these cases, there may be segmental and prosody defects.

• Segmental defects : In this case, you may notice that there are more changes in vowels because patients tend to increase or decrease the time they pronounce vowels. On the other hand, in the case of consonants, there may be very subtle changes and pronunciation errors.
• Prosody defects : Prosody defects are changes in the rhythm and intonation of several words and phrases. We can also find time shortening between syllables and intonation conduction of phrases.

expert diagnosis

People with foreign language syndrome usually do not notice the change in a speech on their own, and a third party often discovers the problem.

Of course, an official diagnosis must be made by an expert. However, because many disorders are similar, it can be difficult to make a diagnosis.

To make an accurate diagnosis, medical professionals must check the patient’s medical history, family history, and exposure to foreign languages. And you should take a close look at the muscles used in normal speech.

In many cases, imaging tests to observe the patient’s brain and its behavior are also required to detect neurological damage. MRI and computed tomography are particularly useful.

Treatment of foreign language syndrome

In most cases, these changes in tone go away on their own after a few days or weeks and do not require medical treatment. However, there are cases where this change of tone does not disappear and persists for years.

Experts regard this particular problem as a motor alteration accompanied by neurological damage and use treatment methods to address both of these problems.

First, the specialist focuses on the neurological or psychological problem that is responsible for the syndrome.

Meanwhile, experts have proven that speech therapy is effective when dealing with foreign language syndrome. This treatment helped patients regain their original tone of voice. In a similar vein, a study from the University of Malaga demonstrated that the inclusion of donepezil in treatment was effective.

Impact on patient’s life

Just because you have this syndrome doesn’t mean your life is at risk. But, of course, you can experience enormous psychological and social impacts.

Because communication with the patient is not easy. After all, people have a hard time understanding what this patient is trying to say.

However, it is important not to overlook the change in tone. This is because Speech Syndrome may be a symptom of some kind of underlying neurological or psychological disorder. Therefore, if symptoms appear, you should see a specialist as soon as possible.