Strange Speech or Behaviour

About the Symptom

Aphasia is a medical term that describes an inability to understand (including reading) or express language (including writing). Apraxia is the inability to make purposeful, goal-oriented actions. Agnosia is the inability to recognize people, objects, sounds, shapes, or smells.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Strange speech or behaviour

Possible Causes

Generally, Strange speech or behaviour can be related to:

• Dissociative Disorder

  Dissociative disorder is a mental disorder that involves experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorder escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy, causing problems with functioning in everyday life.

• Diffuse Axon Injury

  Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a type of damage that occurs to nerve cells as a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is most often caused by blunt head trauma. DAI is sometimes accompanied by severe alterations in someone's level of consciousness, such as lethargy or coma.

• Hydrocephalus

  Hydrocephalus refers to the abnormal flow of a naturally-occuring brain fluid (cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF) within natural brain cavities (ventricles), causing fluid buildup. This leads to swelling of the ventricles and increased pressure in the brain, which, if untreated, can cause brain damage in pressurized brain regions. Hydrocephalus is most common in infants and older adults. It has a number of causes, including certain genetic conditions, birth defects of the brain, as well as tumors, stroke, head trauma, or brain infections (such as meningitis). In many cases, the exact cause of hydrocephalus cannot be identified.

• Frontotemporal Dementia
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (AIDS-Related PML)
• Schizophrenia

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Strange speech or behaviour may be related to these serious diseases:

• Chronic Subdural Hematoma

  This refers to blood collecting in the space between the brain and the brain's outer covering (dura). It can be caused by even minor injuries or bumps to the head, particularly in those who are at increased risk. Older adults and those on certain blood-thinning medications or with bleeding disorders are at higher risk. Some people will have no or few symptoms but can develop more symptoms (confusion, headaches, personality changes) if it expands.

• Cerebral Hemorrhage
• Encephalitis / Encephalopathy

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Have you been experiencing difficulty speaking, performing tasks, or recognizing things?
• When did you first notice difficulty speaking, performing tasks, or recognizing things?
• Can you understand others but struggle to express yourself clearly?
• Do you have difficulty speaking or unintentionally say words?
• Have you lost the ability to read properly?

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