Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) is an extremely rare condition in which its sufferers suddenly develop a foreign accent.
This condition usually develops after a stroke, head injury, or migraine, but can result in other ways as well. There are between 60 and 150 known cases in the world.
A BBC documentary aired recently entitled, “The Woman Who Woke Up Chinese” and documented the case of Sarah Colwill, who woke up in the hospital after an intense migraine headache with a Chinese accent.
Watch a clip of Sarah below:
The condition was first described over 100 years ago back in 1907 in France.
Those with FAS may undergo speech therapy, and in some cases the condition has cleared up on its own.
Sources
- Foreign accent syndrome (Wikipedia)
- Sarah Colwill Speaks Out About Foreign Accent Syndrome In BBC Documentary ‘The Woman Who Woke Up Chinese’ (Emily Thomas, Huffington Post: September 4, 2013)