The illness of the American actor Bruce Willis has worsened, he is currently suffering from frontotemporal dementia. Worldwide, dementia affects more than 50 million people, with 10 million new cases diagnosed annually. Of these, 10% represent cases of frontotemporal dementia.
What is frontotemporal dementia, the disease with which Bruce Willis was diagnosed, and how does it manifest itself. There are no treatments for this condition
Nearly a year after Bruce Willis announced he was giving up acting due to a diagnosis of aphasia, the superstar’s family announced he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
“Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia. Unfortunately, communication challenges are just one symptom of the disease Bruce is dealing with,” the family’s statement, posted on the Frontotemporal Degeneration Association website, states.
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Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a group of disorders that lead to damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Depending on the brain regions affected, the disease causes changes in social behavior, personality disorders and/or loss of language skills.
Among the most common symptoms associated with FTD, we mention: behavioral changes, loss of empathy towards others, loss of inhibitions, personal hygiene problems, changes in diet with an increase in sugar consumption, communication and language problems, motor difficulties, spasms and difficulty swallowing food and drink.
Frontotemporal dementia has a negative impact on social relationships and the physical and mental state of affected people.
Unfortunately, however, no treatment has been identified to prevent or treat the condition. Currently prescribed medications and therapies aim to relieve behavioral symptoms. Thus, doctors prescribe in these cases:
- Antidepressants;
- Antipsychotic drugs;
- Therapies to improve language and identify alternative ways of communication.
Frontotemporal dementia is caused by clusters of abnormal proteins that form in brain cells. They are thought to damage the cells and stop them from working properly.
The proteins accumulate mainly in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. They are important for controlling language, behavior and the ability to plan and organize.
It is not fully understood why this happens, but there is often a genetic inheritance. About one in three people with frontotemporal dementia have a family history of dementia.
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