What is aphasia? Bruce Willis ‘stepping away’ from acting after diagnosis
Actor Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with aphasia and will step away from his lifelong career that spawned hits from “Die Hard” to “Pulp Fiction,” his family announced in a statement on Wednesday, March 30.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” his family wrote in the joint statement.
The statement went on to say the 67-year-old actor plans on stepping away from his acting career “that has meant so much to him” as he deals with his health issues.
“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” the Instagram message from his family reads.
What is aphasia?
Aphasia is a disorder caused by damage to a specific part of the brain that controls language, Johns Hopkins Medicine reported.
The condition affects the patient’s ability to speak, understand language and write.
Men and women are equally affected by aphasia, Johns Hopkins said. Most people with aphasia are in middle age or older.
More than 2 million people have been diagnosed with the condition, University of Michigan researchers said.
What causes aphasia?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the language disorder often occurs “suddenly” from a stroke or head injury. However, it can also come from a brain tumor or a degenerative disease.
What are some symptoms of aphasia?
A person with aphasia may speak in shorter, and more incomplete sentences, and may not make sense while talking, according to WebMD. They also may say words that do not seem to make sense, and lose their ability to write clearly.
Aphasia does not affect the patient’s intelligence, only their ability to express themselves, the site said.
How is aphasia diagnosed?
To diagnose aphasia, patients may undergo a series of language tests, including repetition, reading and writing. Sometimes to make a formal diagnosis, doctors will utilize CT scans, MRI’s and PET scans to get images of the brain, Johns Hopkins Medicine said.
Are there different types of aphasia?
There are several different “patterns” of aphasia, the Mayo Clinic notes. Some of these include expressive, comprehensive and global aphasia. It is unclear which pattern Willis has been diagnosed with, only that it has impacted his cognitive functions. Each kind of aphasia slightly differs in how the patient is able to communicate, and what he or she understands.
Can aphasia be treated?
The most common treatment for aphasia is speech-language therapy, which aims to improve a person’s ability to communicate, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
If damage to a patient’s brain is mild, a person can recover their communication skills without treatment after being diagnosed with aphasia, the Mayo Clinic says.
Medications are also being studied to see if they can help aphasia patients recover.
What is the prognosis for aphasia patients?
With therapy, many patients can rebuild their speech skills. However, if symptoms last longer than two to three months following a stroke, a complete rebuild of skills is unlikely, according to the National Aphasia Association.
Some people may never recover their language skills after being diagnosed with aphasia. Instead, they can learn to communicate in new ways and learn to live with the disorder, the University of Michigan said.
This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 1:17 PM with the headline "What is aphasia? Bruce Willis ‘stepping away’ from acting after diagnosis."
