Stroke victim speaks like Canadian sailor

The case of a woman who suffered a stroke and now speaks like a Canadian sailor has doctors baffled.

Canadian woman Rosemarie Dore’s new accent has confused researchers because most people suffering “foreign-accent syndrome” (FAS) speak with accents from other countries.

Researchers say the 50-year-old now speaks like a Canadian east coast resident, using what is described as "Maritime" accent.

Ms Dore’s case is detailed in the latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

Alexandre Sevigny, cognitive science professor at McMaster University in Canada, said Ms Dore’s speech had slowed and she now pronounced the words “that” and “think” as “dat” and “tink”.

“It is a fascinating case because Rosemarie has never visited the Maritimes, nor has she been exposed to anyone with an East Coast accent,” Dr Sevigny said. “Her family lineage is Irish and Danish, and neither of her parents ever lived anywhere but in southern Ontario.”