What is frontotemporal dementia, brain disorder Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with?
The news comes less than a year after the 67-year-old actor stopped performing due to his aphasia diagnosis.
Hyderabad: The family of veteran Hollywood actor Bruce Willis took to social media on Thursday to reveal that the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. The news comes less than a year after the 67-year-old actor stopped performing due to his aphasia diagnosis.
Sharing the statement on social media, the family said, “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis. Today there are no treatments for the condition, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead.” Read along to know more about frontotemporal dementia, its symptoms and its causes.
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What is FTD?
According to the National Institute on Aging in the United States, frontotemporal disorders (FTD), sometimes called frontotemporal dementia, are the result of damage to neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.
What causes FTD?
The National Health Service (NHS) says that frontotemporal dementia is caused by clumps of abnormal protein forming inside brain cells. The healthcare said that most cases are diagnosed in people aged 45-65, although it can also affect younger or older people.
Types and symptoms of FTD
There are two types of FTD – behavioural variant FTD (bvFTD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). While BvFTD results from damage to the frontal lobes of the brain, and mainly causes problems with behaviour and personality, PPA that occurs in the temporal lobes on either side of the head nearest the ears, causes language problems.
The NHS says that, along with symptoms including day-to-day memory loss, personality and behaviour changes, language problems and problems with mental abilities, there may also be physical problems, such as slow or stiff movements, loss of bladder or bowel control, muscle weakness or difficulty swallowing.
How is FTD treated?
According to NHS, there’s currently no cure for frontotemporal dementia or any treatment that will slow it down. However, there are a few treatments — therapies such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, support groups and medicines — to help control some of the symptoms, possibly for several years.
