The actor Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. He is reportedly suffering from challenges with communication. According to the most recent breaking news from BNN, the 67-year-old actor was initially diagnosed with aphasia in March, which progressed to frontotemporal dementia.
What is frontotemporal dementia?
FTD, or frontotemporal dementia, is a collection of disorders affecting the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain. Neurodegenerative diseases fall into this category and get worse over time. A professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Dr. Paul Barton Rosenberg, said FTD has two sub diagnoses.
People in the first category can lose their social graces and inhibitions while also changing their personalities. The second type is primary progressive aphasia, in which people have difficulty expressing themselves or finding the right words. According to a statement released by the actor’s family on Thursday, one of the symptoms of FTD that Bruce is experiencing is difficulty communicating. A clear diagnosis of the disease offers a sigh of relief for the family, though it is painful.
Causes and symptoms of FTD
Protein buildup in your brain can shrink and damage the temporal and frontal lobes, leading to frontotemporal dementia. A Florida-based neurologist, Dr. Gregg Day, who works at the Mayo Clinic, said the temporal and frontal lobes in the brain are related to language, behavior, and personality. However, a person’s symptoms vary depending on which part of the brain is affected by the disease.
Gregg Day went on to say that misinterpretation of instructions, difficulty understanding, and difficulty with language could all be symptoms of FTD. However, protein buildup in certain areas of the brain responsible for governing could result in unusual behavior, social cognition issues, motivational losses, and disrespecting loved ones, all of which are symptoms of frontotemporal dementia.
Other symptoms of frontotemporal dementia are problems with vision, balance, and moving the body to one side. Gregg Day said it may be hard to recognize all these symptoms in patients. It is also difficult to distinguish between psychiatric diseases and behavioral changes. Gregg Day also claimed that his family’s disclosure of Bruce’s condition helped them learn about aphasia months later.
Who is likely to suffer from FTD?
According to two experts, young people, mainly those in their 40s, 60s, and 50s, are expected to suffer from this type of dementia. It could also be at an early age, when people are focused on their responsibilities and demands, and may be hard to diagnose. Such people may be busy with their jobs and their spouses caring for kids. If a person lives using language and suffers from FTD, it makes an impact on their life.
In the latest world news, FTD affects one in every 742 people, which is unusual. It is also rare compared to Alzheimer’s disease. According to estimates at the Mayo Clinic, FTD is one of the chief causes of 10 to 20% of dementia cases.
Medicines or treatments for frontotemporal dementia
There are currently no medications available to slow or stop frontotemporal degeneration. According to Rosenberg, medications are given to people to help them manage their symptoms. Speech therapy may be helpful to treat aphasia. Families can interact with their loved ones and keep them engaged to manage FTD.
