Bruce Willis Has Frontotemporal Dementia. Here ’ s What It Is

In an Instagram post, Bruce Willis’ family revealed that the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The diagnosis comes nearly a year after his family revealed Willis has aphasia, which is characterized by difficulty speaking. “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),” the family said in its statement, which was also posted on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration’s website. Here’s what to know about the condition. What is FTD? FTD refers to a collection of conditions that involve deterioration of brain nerves in the frontal and temporal parts of the brain, which contribute to behavior, personality, and language. Willis’ earlier diagnosis of aphasia, his family said, may be a symptom of FTD. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] There are several types of FTD. One primarily affects behavior and personality, as nerves cells critical to judgement, conduct, and empathy start degenerating. Another, which affects language, speaking, and writing, most often occurs in midlife. Another type of FTD primarily damages motor nerves; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS is a form of this type. Estimates of how many people are affected by FTD aren’t conclusive, but the Alzheimer’s Association speculates that about 50,000 to 60,000 people in the U.S. have ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Disease Explainer healthscienceclimate Source Type: news