In March last year, Bruce Willis announced his retirement. His relatives reported that the actor was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that interferes with speaking, writing and perceiving speech. Now another diagnosis has been confirmed – frontotemporal dementia (FTD). And the situation is complicated by the fact that effective methods of treating this disease do not yet exist. However, the wife of 67-year-old Bruce, Emma Heming, as well as his ex-wife Demi Moore and their daughters, say that they believe in good forecasts, and talk about it in order to support other people who are faced with this.
“We hope that things can improve in the coming years. Bruce’s condition is changing, and we hope that media attention will be focused on shedding light on this disease, which requires much more awareness and research, ”the actor’s relatives said in a message.
There is really not much information about frontotemporal dementia. But we found a detailed article on the symptoms and treatment of this disease on the American portal Self. We translate the most important points.
Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia
According to the Mayo Clinic, potential symptoms of FTD may also include:
- inappropriate social behavior
- loss of empathy, interest, or interpersonal skills
- difficulty finding the right word
- making mistakes in the construction of sentences,
- forgetting the meaning of certain words,
- muscle spasms, tremors, twitching or rigidity,
- muscle weakness,
- poor coordination
- difficulty walking.
How is it different from Alzheimer’s disease
Doctors say FTD and Alzheimer’s are two completely different diseases. FTD can be diagnosed in people between 40 and 60 years of age, and Alzheimer’s disease mostly occurs later in life – after 65 years.
The main symptom in FTD is difficulty with speech, and in Alzheimer’s disease, memory problems.
How to identify FTD, what could be the cause of the disease
Frontotemporal dementia must be diagnosed by a neurologist, who will first evaluate the person’s symptoms and medical history, as well as perform medical tests and, in some cases, order an MRI to understand how far the disease has progressed in the brain.
Very little is known about the causes of FTD. It is believed that this disease may be associated with genetics (about 1/3 of cases).
How to treat FTD
There are no specific medications for FTD, but there are some treatments that can help slow the progression of the disease. These include work with a speech therapist, physiotherapy, the appointment of certain medications.
It is known that FTD progresses, therefore, in some cases, over time, the patient needs round-the-clock assistance from medical workers.
PS
The family of Bruce Willis, addressing subscribers on social networks, also expressed gratitude to everyone who responded to their story. After all, the more people who know about this disease, the more likely they will eventually find an effective treatment.
“Bruce always found joy in life and helped everyone he knows, and now the world has returned this concern to him and all of us,” said the actor’s relatives.