Foreign Accent Syndrome

Contributing Author: Joseph J. Cooper, MD and Stephanie Yarnell, MD, PhD

Overview: The relationship between the mind and the brain is of great interest both within the field of psychiatry and in the public at large. The brain holds possibilities for some fascinating stories of organic disease. While stories of psychiatric disease may also be fascinating, cases of ambiguous etiology may raise questions of whether the subject is “faking.” The exploration of symptoms that lie at the mind-brain interface involves a need for the understanding of both neurology and psychiatry. Psychiatrists well informed about neuroscience and clinical neurology should be the best-equipped clinicians to take on this task. We present here a Facilitator’s Guide covering a fascinating story presented on NPR’s Snap Judgment podcast of a woman who developed a sudden onset of Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS). Content-based learning objectives include that the participant will be able to describe: what FAS is, the underlying neuroscience of FAS, and the challenges patients face relating to stigma. These objectives are assessed via role-play exercise with direct observation. As with all sessions in the Neuroscience in the Media module, additional learning objectives include that the learner will: appreciate the relevance of neuroscience to the future of psychiatry; be able to serve as an ambassador of neuroscience and psychiatry (by demonstrating the ability to critique media coverage of our field); and have fun learning about neuroscience!