frontotemporal dementia replaces bruce willis' aphasia diagnosis

his wife emma heming and and their two young children, as well as his ex-wife demi moore and their three adult children, are helping the actor “live as full a life as possible,” the family said in a statement to people.

“since we announced bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as ftd),” willis’ family said. “unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease bruce faces. while this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”

frontotemporal dementia is sometimes misdiagnosed as alzheimer’s disease

while f rontotemporal dementia is sometimes misdiagnosed as alzheimer’s disease, it tends to affect younger people: symptoms of frontotemporal dementia can often begin between the ages of 40 and 65. (willis will be 68 next month.)

“our beloved bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” willis’ ex-wife demi moore said in an instagram statement on march 30, 2022. moore and willis were married for 13 years and have three children together. they’ve remained close since their split, and the family of five even quarantined together at the beginning of the pandemic.

what is aphasia?

aphasia affects the part of the brain that controls language and speech, typically on the left side. the condition caused by damage to that part of the brain, most commonly as the result of a stroke. it can also sometimes be caused by a brain tumour or head injury, and in those cases, there are also other cognitive issues, such as memory loss. there are about one million people living with aphasia in the u.s ., and more than 100,000 canadians have the devastating language disorder . it affects about one in three stroke survivors.

“aphasia is a communication problem that masks a person’s inherent competence,” according to the aphasia institute , and it can have “a devastating impact on human connection.”

the many faces of aphasia

there are several different kinds of aphasia. people with expressive aphasia (sometimes called broca’s aphasia) have trouble forming complete sentences or remembering certain words, which frequently causes them to pause or stop mid-sentence, behavioural neurologist dr. borna bonakdarpour told the new york times . sometimes people with this form will communicate in short, direct sentences like “want food.” it can be especially frustrating, the mayo clinic says , as they are generally aware that they aren’t speaking in full sentences, and want to speak normally.

global aphasia is the most severe type, causing people to struggle with every kind of communication, including speaking, understanding, reading and writing. they may speak a few familiar words, but they have a lot of difficulty both understanding other people and being understood, and usually can’t read or write, according to the archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation’s guide to living with aphasia .

how is aphasia treated?

there are a number of different therapy methods. some will focus on a specific form of language, like verbs or sentence structure. it might involve memorizing synonyms for commonly-used words, the new york times says , or using flash cards or photos to re-learn certain words or phrases. the u.s. national aphasia association (naa) says it will sometimes suggest role-playing situations, like ordering a coffee. people with expressive aphasia might be encourage to sing rather than speak, in what’s called melodic intonation therapy: some people “sing it better than saying it,” the naa explains.

there are also steps family members or caretakers can take to make life easier for someone living with aphasia. the johns hopkins school of medicine recommends including the person with aphasia in conversations. the aphasia institute agrees. “people with aphasia do know what is going on,” the organization says. “even when the aphasia is severe, many are capable of participating in decisions that pertain to them if the appropriate support is provided — similar to giving a wheelchair or walker to someone who can’t walk.”