Following the discovery of aphasia, a brain condition that causes difficulty in understanding or producing speech, Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023.
Bruce Willis’ wife said she wishes she could “have a conversation” with the Hollywood legend.
Fighting back the tears, Emma Heming Willis made the heartbreaking revelation yesterday as she opened up about Bruce’s journey with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with which he was diagnosed in 2023. It came following the discovery of aphasia – a brain disorder which leads to difficulty in understanding or producing speech in the previous year.
Over the years, doctors have identified important dementia symptoms that people should be wary of. Dr. Jim Jackson, a researcher and neuropsychologist at Vanderbilt Medical Center, described four subtle symptoms, stating that those with the condition may exhibit “socially inappropriate and even antisocial behaviors” and may exhibit “severe apathy or disinterest in things.”
He continued, “People may exhibit clear impairments in judgment and language-related issues, including diminished capacity to speak or comprehend.”
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Bruce has aphasia-related speech difficulties, largely due to the aphasia, but memory difficulties can become more difficult as dementia progresses.
Emma said, “I’d ask how he’s doing, if he’s okay, he feels okay,” when addressing Diane Sawyer in an ABC special titled “Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey.” If there is anything we can do to better support him. That is something I would really like to know. if he fears. if he ever has concerns. I’d really like to talk to him informally.
Dementia is a collection of symptoms caused by different diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. In addition to Dr Jackson’s signs, common ones include having trouble focusing and finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks. The symptoms below are on the NHS website.
List of typical dementia symptoms
- memory loss
- having trouble focusing
- finding it difficult to carry out well-known daily tasks, such as stumbling over the correct change when shopping.
- struggling to follow a conversation or to use the appropriate phrase.
- being uncertain about place and time
- mood alters
The first signs of dementia are listed by Dr. Hilary.
Bruce, 70, retired from the acting industry after his aphasia diagnosis in 2022, ending a remarkable 42-year career. During this period, he won several awards, including a Golden Globe in 1987 for his role in comedy-drama series Moonlighting.
One of his last role was in the action film Detective Knight: Independence, released in 2023, to which Bruce was able to commit after receiving huge support in the acting industry. While he has stepped away from work, Bruce’s personal circumstances have changed as he and Emma are also living separately.
Source: Mirror
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