I first read about Adams' problem a few years ago. It was an enlightening to find because I had (and continue) to have a similar kind of issue, not with speech

I first read about Adams' problem a few years ago. It was an enlightening to find because I had (and continue) to have a similar kind of issue, not with speech but with handwriting. For the last few years I've been unable to write out the letters M, W, and 8. I absolutely can not make my hand move to draw the letters. Every other letter/character is no problem. My brain knows how the movement should go, but it's as if there is no connection between the part of the brain that can visualize the action and the part that puts it in motion. When it first started happening, I was really embarrassed. My first name is Matthew and it's really hard to sign your name on a check or credit card receipt when you can't make your hand draw an M or W. I eventually found that I could write an 8 by drawing two circles rather than as one continuous line. Likewise I can now write my Ms and Ws in reverse starting at the end of the letter. I'm not really sure how to describe the feeling. It's as if your brain has been on autopilot for so long that you don't actually know the muscle movements that make up writing an M. I've also found stories of seasoned athletes who, all of a sudden, were unable to perform a common task in their sport. Such as a golfer who had to try for 15 seconds before he could start his backswing. Or the competitive swimmer who couldn't dive off the platform without several false starts. I know these examples aren't scientific studies, but they fall in the same vein as Adams' vocal problems. It's amazing the things that brain can do (or won't do in this case).