My Dentist Gave Me a New Accent
Most of us fear walking out of the dentist's surgery with a sore mouth and a hefty bill. But, one American's visit proved a little more traumatic - after she left with an English accent. Karen Butler, from Toledo, Oregon, has never travelled further than Mexico, but is now coming to terms with strangers asking her about "bangers and chips". The 56- year- old tax adviser was given an anaesthetic a year and a half ago while her dentist removed several teeth in Oregon. She said: "I woke up and my mouth was all sore and swollen, and I talked funny. The dentist said , "you'll talk normally when the swelling goes down."" But, while the swelling did go down, her voice did not change. Neurologist Ted Lowenkopf, of the Providence Stroke Centre in Oregon, diagnosed her with foreign accent syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. He suspects Miss Butler suffered a small stroke which damaged the part of her brain that affects speech pattern and intonation. She is not alone, last year, Sarah Colwill from Devon developed a Chinese accent after a severe migraine.
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