What Is Frontotemporal Dementia? Understanding Bruce Willis' Diagnosis

etonline.com:

stepping back from acting last year when it was revealed that he was dealing with aphasia, Bruce Willis' neurological ailment has now progressed.Bruce's wife, Emma, ex-wife, Demi Moore, and daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn, shared a joint statement Thursday, announcing that the celebrated movie star's condition has progressed to frontotemporal dementia, also known as FTD.«As a family, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce over the past ten months,» the statement read. «Your generosity of spirit has been overwhelming, and we are tremendously grateful for it.

For your kindness, and because we know you love Bruce as much as we do, we wanted to give you an update.»So what exactly is frontotemporal dementia, and how does it manifest in those dealing with the condition?The term refers to a broad array of neurological disorders resulting from the degeneration of the temporal or frontal lobes of the brain.

The illness, while often confused with or associated with Alzheimer's, is distinct, and significantly different.According to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, the «progression of symptoms — in behavior, language, and/or movement — varies by individual.» However, FTD «brings an inevitable decline in functioning» and the rate of progression «varies from 2 to over 20 years.»«The nerve cell damage caused by frontotemporal dementia leads to loss of function in these brain regions, which variably cause deterioration in behavior, personality and/or difficulty with producing or comprehending language,» the Alzheimer's Association explains. «There are a number of different diseases that cause frontotemporal degeneration.