Hollywood actor Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which was confirmed by his family last night.
The 67-year-old was previously diagnosed with aphasia, which affects his speech and cognitive abilities. However, it was confirmed by Bruce's family that he would be "stepping away" from his glittering career after receiving the more specific diagnosis.
The actor's daughter, Rumer, has said that her father's condition has now "progressed", and doctors had now given him a "more specific diagnosis" of frontotemporal dementia, also known as FTD.
Willis' family expressed their "deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love" for Bruce, as he steps down from his acting career.
Searches have spiked following the news of Bruce, with many people wondering what FTD is, and how to spot it in older family members.
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Read on below to find out more about frontotemporal dementia, aphasia, and the symptoms of each condition.
What is frontotemporal dementia (FTD)?
According to the NHS website, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an uncommon type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language.
Dementia can cause problems with mental functions of the brain, affecting different parts of the muscle. Frontotemporal dementia affects the front and sides of the brain - the frontal and temporal lobes.
Due to where the dementia damages the brain, FTD affects the language and behaviour of the person.
Dementia tends to affect those over 65, but FTD can also start to affect people at a younger age - between 45 and 65 typically. However, FTD can also affect younger or older people.
Like other types of dementia, frontotemporal dementia tends to develop slowly and get gradually worse over several years.
Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
Signs of frontotemporal dementia can include:
- personality and behaviour changes – acting inappropriately or impulsively, appearing selfish or unsympathetic, neglecting personal hygiene, overeating, or loss of motivation
- language problems – speaking slowly, struggling to make the right sounds when saying a word, getting words in the wrong order, or using words incorrectly
- problems with mental abilities – getting distracted easily, struggling with planning and organisation
- memory problems – these only tend to occur later on, unlike more common forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease
There may also be physical problems, such as slow or stiff movements, loss of bladder or bowel control (usually not until later on), muscle weakness or difficulty swallowing.
These problems can make daily activities increasingly difficult, and the person may eventually be unable to look after themselves.
What is aphasia?
Aphasia is when a person has difficulty with their language or speech. It's usually caused by damage to the left side of the brain - for example, after a stroke.
Symptoms:
People with aphasia often have trouble with the 4 main ways people understand and use language.
These are:
- reading
- listening
- speaking
- typing or writing
Speaking problems are perhaps the most obvious, and people with aphasia may make mistakes with the words they use.
This could be sometimes using the wrong sounds in a word, choosing the wrong word, or putting words together incorrectly.
Although aphasia affects a person's ability to communicate, it doesn't affect their intelligence.
Aphasia can occur by itself or alongside other disorders, such as visual difficulties, mobility problems, limb weakness, and problems with memory or thinking skills.
Types of aphasia:
Aphasia is often classified as "expressive" or "receptive", depending on whether there are difficulties with understanding or expressing language, or both.
But most people with aphasia have some trouble with their speaking, and will have a mixture of problems with writing, reading and perhaps listening.
Symptoms can range widely from getting a few words mixed up to having difficulty with all forms of communication.
Some people are unaware that their speech makes no sense and get frustrated when others don't understand them.
For more information on Bruce Willis' diagnosis, and how to spot signs of dementia, visit the NHS website.
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