Lost ability to speak 🗣️🚫
 

Hi everyone,
I hope everyone is having a nice day. I recently found this site and I was wondering if anyone else has lost their ability to speak post brain injury?

I was involved in a car accident in September and suffered a coupe-contre-coupe brain injury/concussion

After 2 days I lost my ability to speak almost completely, and when able to get words out, they are completely stuttered.

I was wondering if anyone else has had such an experience?

Hi Ayoosh

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

I am sorry to read about what you have experienced.

Have you seen anybody about this?

Best wishes.

Ayoosh,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

First off, you suffered a concussion. Unless you had a CT Scan that showed bruising on opposite sides of your head, calling your injury a coup contre coup injury is just speculation. Don't let that term define your injury. Bouncing back and forth in the car is not a coup contre coup injury either. That is just multiple impacts.

Regarding your speech struggles, many have different levels of speech dysfunction. If you developed these problems a day or 2 after the injury, you should be seen by a doctor. RIGHT AWAY if this speech problem continues or gets worse.

It might indicate an injury to your speech motor control system.

Until you are seen, ice your upper neck. The 10th and 12th cranial nerve controls the tongue. It comes out of your upper neck. If you have any difficulty swallowing, these nerves would also be suspect. I suffered damage to these nerves and it primarily impacts my ability to swallow.

Inflammation in your upper neck could be restricting function.

Speculation? Yes indeed, I'm actually speculating off my reports that literally say coup contre coup brain injury 🤦🏻*♀️
I don't know why you are assuming that I'm making this up, but I live in Canada, we have healthcare here available to everyone.

By the way , thanks you for your advice , but I had this accident in September so icing won't help.

Good to clarify the coup contre coup report information..
What do the drs say about the loss of speech and treatment for that?
A temporary thing?
Any Phys therapy?

Usually when head has an impact the neck is traumatized also...soft tissue or micro misalignments can be a factor..
Vertebral Subluxation and Nerve Chart on Meducation

Hello Ayoosh,
Welcome to NeuroTalk Support Groups.

A site that I found very valuable when dealing with post concussion syndrome was the Brainline site. I've posted a link below.

Traumatic Brain Injury: Cognitive and Communication Disorders | BrainLine
What are the cognitive and communication problems that result from traumatic brain injury?

Communication Effects After Brain Injury | BrainLine
Dysarthria

Of course, this may not be the actual condition you are dealing with, but I thought I'd post the information about Dysarthria in case it helps.

Dysarthria - National Aphasia Association
What is Dysarthria?

The subject of "Speech" is discussed. I hope it's not too difficult for you to read it all.

Wishing you a speedy recovery,
Lara

Ayoosh,

Many doctors make such claims with no evidence. I never assumed you made it up. I did assume the doctor did. Coup contre coup refers to the brain bouncing inside the skull from a single impact. As I said, unless imaging showed bruising on both sides of your brain, there is no way to diagnose a coup contre coup. Many doctors will incorrectly label a head injury where your head hit two objects as coup contre coup when in reality, you suffered two separate impacts. It is no different than when a doctor diagnoses a concussion as a diffuse axonal injury. That is speculation unless a DTI MRI has been done and shows diffuse DTI responses.

My point was to not let that label cause you to have any extra concern.

Your focus should be your continuing symptoms, not what a doctor wrote on a report at first presentation.

btw, We have had many Canadians on NT who have struggled to get the specialty care needed for a concussion. PCP care and ER care is easy to access. Getting to that specialist level of head injury care can be a challenge. If one doctor is not helping you improve, search for another doctor.

Your ability to express yourself in text posts online suggests the issue is not verbal processing, aphasia, etc. The dysarthria comment is a consideration. That refers to the muscle control of the tongue that can be neck related that I mentioned.

If you are in Ontario, MyoWorx focuses on the neck issues of head injuries in Guelph. There is a chiropractor in Canada who claims high level research and results. There are functional neurologists and chiropractic neurologists all over Canada. Upper cervical specialist, either physiotherapists or chiropractors, can help many. Just as every head injury is different, every specialist who claims to be able to treat you may not be able to help you with your specific issues.

Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation helps people locate resources throughout Canada. ONF.org

These neck issues are what I call subtle neck injuries. They do not show up on imaging. They are more of an instability that never recovers stability resulting in inflammation that causes the other symptoms/dysfunctions.

My best to you as you look for help.