Bruce Willis the blockbuster actor known for his portrayal in the action film series Die Hard is now diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia, aka FTD.
The news by announced by his family in a statement.
The statement was signed by his current wife, Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five children, his daughters Evelyn, Mabel, Tallulah, Rumer, and Scout.
In the statement, his family said that while the news of the disease is painful, it was a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis of the condition that he was going through. The statement read that Bruce currently has challenges while communicating and that it was only just one of the symptoms of the disease.
The Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration responded by saying that currently, the medical field does not have a disease-modifying treatment for FTD or a cure for the disease and not even a way to prevent the disease from happening.
And that an individual can live up to a period of 7 to 13 years after the symptoms start to be visible.
If Frontotemporal Dementia was a man, he could be called the cruelest of cruel to ever live!
Such is the disease!
Frontotemporal Dementia
It is a rare disease, being a very uncommon type of dementia. Dementia could be cited as a disease that causes impairment to a person’s cognitive abilities mainly thinking, reasoning, perceiving, and memorizing.
A person becomes prone to FTD when proteins are accumulated in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. These are the lobes that control and coordinate language functions, speech, and behavior.
A person who has been affected with FTD over a long time can be distinct onto 7 visible and differential stages of the disease.
The Seven Stages Of The Disease FTD
- Mild Cognitive Changes
The changes in the first stage are difficult to differentiate. People can turn anti-social or have difficulty putting sentences together.
- Behavior Changes
Forget things, and have difficulty saying the right phrases.
- Linguistic Difficulties
More consistent symptoms. Having difficulty remembering less-used phrases.
- Interactive Changes
Difficulty in remembering common phrases.
- Personality Changes and Cause of Mood Swings
Difficulty in carrying out day-to-day tasks, stiffness in body parts.
- Memory Decay
Tend to be away from others. Body balance and reflex issues.
- Severe Cognitive Impairment and Health Deterioration
The final stage of FTD. The worse stage of all the six symptoms.
The symptoms of FTD might result in uncharacteristic changes in the personality, apathy, and unexplainable struggles in decision-making.
Frontotemporal Dementia is also known as Frontotemporal Disorder. The exact reason for the cause of FTD is still under research. While the uncontrollable deposit of protein in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain is cited as one reason, the disease can also be genetically inherited through generations.
One in eight of the affected people has had it in their family.
What makes it more difficult is that there is no exact test by which FTD can be diagnosed. Now the disease is diagnosed by a procedure of a GP assessing the symptoms of the person by asking a set of questions to someone who is in close contact with the person and who knows the person very well.
The questions can be about behavioral changes, interactive changes, and changes in the way the person responds. The diagnosis further includes the procedures of brain scans like CT scan, MRI scan, and PET scan; mental capability tests, blood tests, and a lumbar puncture is also carried out to eliminate the chances of Alzheimer’s and similar conditions.
It mostly affects people above the age of 45. FTD is a progressive disease, which grows over time and worsens the condition of the person along with its growth.
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FTD can be classified into three, bvFTD (behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia), PPA (primary progressive aphasia), and movement disorders.
Bruce Willis was earlier diagnosed with the condition of aphasia, a disorder than affects communication abilities.
His family in the released statement did not forget to express their gratitude to the fans and supporters by saying that the family wanted to take the opportunity to thank all who outpoured love and compassion for the past ten months.
The statement further read that as Bruce’s condition advances they hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on the disease that needs far more awareness and research.
The family recalled him as a person who has always found joy in his life and helped everyone he knows to do the same.
The now 67-year-old artist debuted in acting career with a role in a drama production named Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
From 1985 to 1989 he was cast as David Addison Jr in the American comedy series Moonlighting, for which he won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Primetime Show. Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, and Unbreakable are the other noted movies by Bruce Willis.
Bruce Willis’s net worth can be estimated at around 250 million US Dollars.
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