Bruce Willis is affected by frontotemporal degeneration which is characterized by behavioral, personality and language disorders.
- In a recent press release, relatives of Bruce Willis revealed that the actor suffers from frontotemporal dementia.
- In France, around 6,000 patients are affected by frontotemporal degeneration, according to the National Brain Institute.
- There is no curative treatment for frontotemporal degeneration.
In 2022, Bruce Willis had stopped his career due to health problems. The actor of diehard suffered in particular from aphasia, a language disorder due to brain damage. Thursday, February 16, 2023, the relatives of Bruce Willis, in particular his wife Emma Heming Willis, his children, as well as by his ex-wife, Demi Moore, announced that the actor suffered from a form of incurable dementia: the frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) or frontotemporal dementia.
“Bruce’s disease has progressed and we now have a more precise diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (…) Unfortunately, communication difficulties are only a symptom of the disease that Bruce is facing”, can we read in the press release. Despite this terrible news, the family assured to be “relieved to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
Frontotemporal dementia: symptoms occurring between 50 and 65 years old
In France, nearly 6,000 patients are affected by frontotemporal degeneration. The first symptoms usually appear between the ages of 50 and 65. “The symptoms of FTD are due to dysfunction of the frontal and temporal regions of the brain. These regions are involved in functions as diverse as behavior, in particular social behavior, taking initiative, controlling emotions, In these pathologies, the cerebral areas concerned are reduced (atrophy) as a result of the death of neurons, either by the accumulation of abnormal proteins, or by mechanisms that are still not understood.has indicated the National Brain Institute.
How to treat frontotemporal degeneration?
Frontotemporal dementia is a progressive pathology that results in behavioral, personality and language disorders. In the majority of cases, language disorders are manifested by an inability to articulate, a deficit of understanding and identification of objects or people.
Currently, there is no treatment to cure frontotemporal degeneration. Patients follow therapies to alleviate symptoms and improve their daily lives. “Today, there is no cure for this disease, a reality which we hope may change in the years to come (…) As Bruce’s condition evolves, we hope that the media will strive to draw attention to this disease, which needs much more awareness and research,” underlined the relatives of Bruce Willis.