Palilalia

Palilalia is a rare speech disorder in which the speaker involuntarily repeats words, phrases, or sentences they have just spoken, often several times. The individual’s speech typically decreases in audibility and often accelerates in speed with each iteration. It has also been observed that palilalia occurs in spontaneous speech, and rarely in automatic speech, such as singing or reciting memorized pieces. Palilalia can occur in individuals with disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, thalamic infarction, progressive supranuclear palsy, or idiopathic calcification of the basal ganglia.

Diagnosis of palilalia is made by meeting the requirements of the definition itself. It differs from echolalia, which is when an individual repeats a phrase or sentence that has just been spoken to them by another person. Another important differential diagnosis to consider is stuttering. Palilalia differs from stuttering in that palilalia is a speech repetition of a whole word or words occurring at the end of speaking; stuttering, in contrast, can include repetitions of sounds or words at the beginning or middle of sentences, and may also present as prolongation of vowel sounds or difficulty starting a sound altogether.

Palilalia may present as part of the progression of an organic underlying cause. There have been studies to help develop treatments, in the form of behavioral modification, for individuals experiencing palilalia as a result of functional disease. Some research suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder can decrease the occurrence of palilalia by being taught to use scripted language, rule-governed behavior, and self monitoring techniques.