American actor, producer, and singer Bruce Willis hails from the United States of America. He is also a singer. Since the 1980s, he has worked in the television industry, and he made his debut in the film industry with a prominent role in the movie “Blind Dating.”
What Happened To Bruce Willis?
Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), his family has revealed.
The 67-year-old star’s family released a statement on Thursday saying that while the news “is heartbreaking, it is a comfort to finally have a definite diagnosis.”
“Although we have high hopes for the future, there are currently no treatments available for the condition. We believe that as Bruce’s condition worsens, any media coverage will help bring attention to a disease that deserves considerably more attention and research.
Willis’ aphasia was first made public in 2022 by his family, including his wife Emma Heming Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore, and daughters. It was reported at the time that Willis would be taking time off from acting due to a medical problem that was hurting his cognitive functions.
Bruce “always believed in utilising his voice in the world to help others and to raise awareness about important causes, both publicly and privately,” his family stated in a recent statement.
“If he could do anything today, we know in our hearts he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connecting with those who are also coping with this painful condition and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”
Frontotemporal dementia is a “umbrella name for a collection of brain illnesses that largely affect the frontal and temporal lobes,” as described by the Mayo Clinic.
In general, these regions of the brain are involved in constructing and expressing one’s identity, behaviour, and language.
Willis’ most recent film is “Detective Knight: Independence,” the third film in the “Detective Knight” thriller series, which was out in January 2023. Next month, he will also have the action film “Assassin” released.
Heming Willis Mabel and Evelyn Willis are the couple’s two daughters. Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah are his daughters with Moore.
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What Is Frontotemporal Dementia?
According to the Association for Frontotemporal Dementia (AFTD), frontotemporal dementia, often known as FTD, is a set of brain illnesses that are caused by the degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain.
According to the Mayo Clinic, those regions of the brain are typically related with a person’s personality, behaviour, and language.
Those diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia are often younger than those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which is another way in which the two conditions are distinct from one another.
According to research conducted by the Alzheimer’s Association, the majority of patients with frontotemporal dementia are identified with the condition between the ages of 40 and 60. Willis is 67 years old.
“FTD has a significantly larger impact on job, family, and money than Alzheimer’s,” states the AFTD. This is due to the fact that the age of onset for FTD is significantly younger than that of Alzheimer’s.
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What Causes Frontotemporal Dementia?
Although the precise reason for frontotemporal dementia is not yet understood, a number of professional medical organisations agree that genetic abnormalities are likely to blame for the condition.
“Some individuals suffering from FTD have microscopic formations in their brain cells known as pick bodies. The bodies of picks have an abnormally high or specific form of protein “According to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The Mayo Clinic states that your risk of having frontotemporal dementia could be higher if there is a history of dementia in your family; nonetheless, the AFTD disease is considered to be “sporadic.” There is no recognised risk factor that could lead to the development of the disorder.
According to Dr. Paul Schulz, a professor of neurology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston who has conducted research on frontotemporal dementia, traumatic experiences are another possible cause of the illness.
Can You Treat Frontotemporal Dementia?
According to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), there is no treatment that can delay or stop the growth of frontotemporal dementia, hence there is no cure for it.
According to Schulz, the treatment that medical professionals would instead come up with is something called “symptomatic therapy.”
According to Schulz, “depending on the area of the brain that’s implicated, we have drugs that are often helpful.” “Unfortunately, they can not treat the illness process that is underlying it.
Nevertheless, they can help with the symptoms a lot in order to make the person’s quality of life significantly better.”
According to the AFTD, frontotemporal dementia can result in life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, infections, or injuries sustained from falls. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in this population.
Schulz stated that “people don’t truly die from the disease in and of itself.” “In the long run, such medical issues are what cause people to pass away.”
According to the AFTD, the typical life expectancy from the onset of symptoms is between seven and thirteen years.
