Hollywood action legend Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. The actor's family explained that his condition had worsened since the 2022 diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that affects a patient's ability to understand language and communicate.

“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,” a post on the website of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration said.

What is frontotemporal dementia?

Frontotemporal dementia, also known as FTD, refers to a group of brain disorders that affect the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes.

These parts of the brain are associated with controlling a person’s behaviour, personality, and language, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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In FTD, these lobes of the brain atrophy, and the shrinking of these areas can cause speech issues, emotional problems and changes in personality.

FTD affects both men and women equally, and the symptoms typically start between the ages of 40 and 65, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of FTD vary from patient to patient. While some people with FTD have dramatic changes in their personalities and become socially inappropriate or emotionally indifferent, others lose the ability to communicate and use language. Signs and symptoms of FTD get worse over years.

Behavioural symptoms

Increasingly inappropriate social behaviour due to loss of empathy and other interpersonal skills.

Lack of judgment and loss of inhibition.

Lack of interest (apathy), similar to depression.

Repetitive compulsive behaviour, such as clicking, tapping feet or smacking lips.

Changes in eating habits and eating inedible objects.

Trouble naming things, possibly replacing a specific word with general words.

No longer knowing the meaning of words and having hesitant speech that may sound telegraphic.

Physical Symptoms

Tremors

Rigidity

Muscle spasms or twitches and poor coordination

Difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness

Falls or walking problems

Causes

What causes the changes in the frontal lobes of the brain is usually unknown.

Genetic mutations have been linked to FTD but more than half of the people who develop the disease have no family history of dementia.

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Researchers have found shared genetics and molecular pathways between frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but more research needs to be done to understand the actual cause, as per Mayo Clinic.

Treatment

Currently, there are no available treatments to treat or slow the progression of FTD.

Healthcare providers may prescribe medicine to treat symptoms which include antidepressants for anxiety and control obsessive-compulsive behaviours and prescription sleeping aids to help ease insomnia and other sleep disturbances.

Antipsychotic medicine may also help in reducing irrational and compulsive behaviours and behaviour modification may help control unacceptable or risky activities.

Speech and language pathologists and therapists can help patients with the adjustment to some of the language and speech changes caused by FTD.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)