A Turkish stroke patient began conversing exclusively in Danish, a language he hadn't used in years, after losing the ability to speak his native Turkish following a surgical procedure.
Last week, 67-year-old Rahmi Karademir underwent knee surgery at Selçuk University Hospital in Konya, Turkey, according to Anadolu Agency. Two days after the operation, he experienced weakness in his right arm and leg, along with speech difficulties. Medical examinations revealed that one of the major arteries in the left part of his brain was blocked by a thrombus.
Professor Dr. Gökhan Özdemir, head of the neurology department at Selçuk University Hospital, intervened. "We quickly took our patient to angiography and cleaned the clot. After the procedure, the paralysis in the patient's right arm and leg improved, and he started using them again," Özdemir said, according to Anadolu Agency.
Following the procedure, instead of speaking Turkish, his native language, Karademir began speaking only in Danish, much to the surprise of his family and doctors. Having lived in Denmark for 20 years before returning to Turkey a decade ago, he had not used Danish regularly since his return.
"He started speaking Danish. We were very surprised," said his daughter, Meral. "After returning from Denmark, he had never spoken Danish again. Now, suddenly, he can only speak this language. My sisters and I can communicate with him more easily because we know the language, but his inability to speak Turkish makes my father very sad," she added.
Karademir expressed his confusion and distress. "I understand Turkish but cannot speak it. I am straining my memory. Hopefully, it will get better. Danish is in my mind; Turkish does not come to my mind at all," he stated through his daughter's translation.
Özdemir explained that this occurrence is documented in medical literature. "In multilingual individuals, after certain brain injuries, languages that are not actively used can re-emerge," he said. "While some languages may be forgotten after a stroke or hemorrhage in people who know more than one language, there may be cases where unused languages reappear."
He emphasized the importance of medical intervention in such cases. "The ability to speak at least one language after a stroke is an advantage for subsequent rehabilitation," Özdemir noted. "In such cases, the unused language may come to the forefront. The regaining of Turkish is expected. It may happen within a few days, a few weeks, or a few months, but we see that a large part of them regain this ability."
The family remains hopeful for his recovery. "He is very sad because he thinks he has lost his own language," Meral said. "Fortunately, my sisters know this language and can communicate with him."
Karademir's case exemplifies a phenomenon known as "foreign language syndrome" or "selective language recovery," where individuals lose the ability to speak their native language following brain injury and instead regain a previously unused language. This occurs due to the involvement of language centers in different regions of the brain.
Özdemir added that being bilingual can have advantages in rehabilitation. "Having multiple languages is advantageous for patients. The language they can speak can help them return to the languages they have forgotten or could not speak over time," he explained. "We expect a return."
Karademir continues to receive treatment at the hospital, with doctors monitoring his progress closely. His paralysis symptoms have improved since the procedure. The medical team remains optimistic about his prospects for regaining his ability to speak Turkish.
The development has drawn attention within the medical community. "This situation, although rare, is encountered in the literature," Özdemir stated. "It provides us with valuable insights into the workings of the brain and how we might better assist patients in similar circumstances."
Meanwhile, Karademir communicates with his family in Danish, a language he hadn't spoken in years. His daughters, who know Danish, help bridge the communication gap. "We do not have difficulty understanding our father's speech because we know Danish," Meral noted. "But his inability to speak Turkish makes him very sad."
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.