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’ workforce first revealed that she’d been recognized with main 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 speak present host’s care workforce 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 yr after Bruce Willis’ household shared that his situation progressed in an announcement 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 recognized with aphasia, which was “impacting his cognitive abilities”.

Here’s what Williams’ and Willis’ well being situation is and the whole lot you’ll want to learn about  frontotemporal dementia.

What is FTD and the way widespread 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 commonest kind of dementia for folks below 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 situations, 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 learn how 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 can also have “tiny structures” of their mind cells “that contain an abnormal amount or type of protein”.

The medical web site notes that indicators of FTD will be seen by “subtle changes” in folks’s “behaviour or language skills”. While there isn’t a check to diagnose the illness, blood checks and bodily exams will be achieved 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 circumstances, they’ll progress quickly.

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

Other character modifications will be an incapability to know 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 therapies?

There presently isn’t a treatment for FTD. However, in response to 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 web site urges sufferers to make use of the antipsychotic drugs “with caution,” as folks with dementia are vulnerable to unintended effects, “including an increased risk of death”.

For some individuals who have language difficulties, they might 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 kids, the household acknowledged how the Unbreakable star needs his diagnosis to convey “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.