What is dementia? Bruce Willis’ diagnosis explained

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Wendy Williamas has revealed that she’s been diagnoised with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which is the identical well being situation that Bruce Willis has.

On 22 February, Williams’ crew first revealed that she’d been identified with major progressive aphasia and FTD. “In 2023, after undergoing a battery of medical tests, Wendy was officially diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD),” the 59-year-old former daytime discuss present host’s care crew wrote in a press launch.

“Aphasia, a condition affecting language and communication abilities, and frontotemporal dementia, a progressive disorder impacting behavior and cognitive functions, have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life,” the statmeent conditnued.

Williams’ diagnosis comes one 12 months after Bruce Willis’ household shared that his situation progressed in a press release with the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. “We now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia,” they wrote in February 2023. “Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis

Back in March 2022, the Die Hard star’s family first announced he would be “stepping away” from appearing after he had been identified with aphasia, which was “impacting his cognitive abilities”.

Here’s what Williams’ and Willis’ well being situation is and every little thing you have to learn about  frontotemporal dementia.

What is FTD and the way frequent is it?

FTD “represents a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain,” as famous by The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. There are  many various subtypes of FTD, together with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), which is a dysfunction that impacts how an individual speaks.

It is additionally the most typical kind of dementia for folks beneath the age of 60. However, it is each “lesser common and lesser known” within the US, with an estimate of “60,000 cases”. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration additionally acknowledges that FTD is has been misdiagnosed for different neurological circumstances, such Parkinson’s illness or Alzheimer’s illness.

The situation takes “an average of  3.6 years to get an accurate diagnosis” of it.

What are the causes and the right way to diagnose it?

Although the reason for FTD isn’t identified, “researchers have linked certain subtypes of FTD to mutations on several genes”, as reported by John Hopkins Medicine. People with the illness might also have “tiny structures” of their mind cells “that contain an abnormal amount or type of protein”.

The medical website notes that indicators of FTD could be seen by “subtle changes” in folks’s “behaviour or language skills”. While there isn’t a take a look at to diagnose the illness, blood assessments and bodily exams could be performed to “rule out other conditions that cause similar symptoms”.

What are the signs of the situation?

Although signs of FTD fluctuate for everybody, John Hopkins Medicine says that they’ll “start gradually and progress steadily”. In some instances, they’ll progress quickly.

The commonest signs vary from behavioural adjustments, together with “swearing, stealing, increased interest in sex, or a deterioration in personal hygiene habits”. Some different behaviours can embrace being “socially inappropriate or impulsive”.

Other character adjustments could be an incapability to grasp your language, with “difficulty naming objects, expressing words, or understanding the meanings of words”.

Some folks with the situation could have bodily signs, together with “tremors, muscle spasms or weakness, poor coordination and/or balance, and difficulty swallowing”.

How to deal with FTD as there aren’t any remedies?

There presently isn’t a remedy for FTD. However, in keeping with Mayo Clinic, sure drugs can be utilized to handle the situation. Some antidepressants, like trazodone, and antipsychotic drugs, like olanzapine and quetiapine,  “may reduce the behavioural problems associated” with the illness.

However, the medical website urges sufferers to make use of the antipsychotic drugs “with caution,” as folks with dementia are vulnerable to unwanted side effects, “including an increased risk of death”.

For some individuals who have language difficulties, they may additionally go to speech therapists “to learn alternate strategies for communication”.

In the assertion, signed by Willis’s spouse Emma, ex-partner Demi Moore and his 5 youngsters, the household acknowledged how the Unbreakable star desires his diagnosis to deliver “global attention” to FTD.

“We know in our hearts that – if he could today – he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families,” they explained.