The family of Bruce Willis recently announced that the 67-year-old actor has been diagnosed with aphasia. A brain disorder that leads to problems with speaking, reading and writing has sidelined the actor and drawn attention to a little-known condition that has several possible causes.
What causes aphasia?
A stroke, tumor, head injury or other damage to the language centers of the brain can cause aphasia. Infection of the brain or Alzheimer’s disease can trigger it.
Former US Representative Gabby Giffords, who was injured in the 2011 shooting, has aphasia from that injury.
The National Aphasia Association estimates that 2 million Americans are affected and about 180,000 acquire the disorder each year. Willis’ family announced Wednesday that the 67-year-old actor had been diagnosed with aphasia, but did not provide any details about a possible cause.
For an actor, aphasia can become a major challenge, depending on how severe it is, said cognitive scientist Brenda Rapp of Johns Hopkins University. Rapp told the AP, “You can imagine if you can’t find words, if you can’t arrange words into sentences, if you can’t produce the sounds with your mouth that you want.” If so, how disappointing it is.” “You’re still yourself…but you can’t seem like yourself.”
For most, the cause is a stroke that has cut off blood to part of the brain. Without oxygen and nutrients, brain cells die, making it difficult to retrieve words.
Aphasia does not affect intelligence. Some people improve dramatically in a few months. Others may need to find other ways to communicate. Speech and language therapy can help.
Researchers are exploring new types of speech therapy and non-invasive methods such as a procedure that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate brain cells.
The Die Hard actor’s family took to social media to confirm the news. Wills’ ex-wife Demi Moore also shared a post with a photo of the actor accompanying the announcement. She wrote, “To Bruce’s wonderful supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce is experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which affects his cognitive abilities. It’s affecting. As a result, and very deliberately, Bruce is walking away from a career that means a lot to him.”
The statement further read, “This is a truly challenging time for our family and we greatly appreciate your continued love, compassion and support. We are growing beyond this as a strong family unit, and we want to bring in his fans because we know how much he means to you just as much as you do to him. As Bruce always says, “live it up” and together we plan to do so.”
Aphasia: Learn all about the brain disorder that actor Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with
The family of Bruce Willis recently announced that the 67-year-old actor has been diagnosed with aphasia. A brain disorder that leads to problems with speaking, reading and writing has sidelined the actor and drawn attention to a little-known condition that has several possible causes.
What causes aphasia?
A stroke, tumor, head injury or other damage to the language centers of the brain can cause aphasia. Infection of the brain or Alzheimer’s disease can trigger it.
Former US Representative Gabby Giffords, who was injured in the 2011 shooting, has aphasia from that injury.
The National Aphasia Association estimates that 2 million Americans are affected and about 180,000 acquire the disorder each year. Willis’ family announced Wednesday that the 67-year-old actor had been diagnosed with aphasia, but did not provide any details about a possible cause.
For an actor, aphasia can become a major challenge, depending on how severe it is, said cognitive scientist Brenda Rapp of Johns Hopkins University. Rapp told the AP, “You can imagine if you can’t find words, if you can’t arrange words into sentences, if you can’t produce the sounds with your mouth that you want.” If so, how disappointing it is.” “You’re still yourself…but you can’t seem like yourself.”
For most, the cause is a stroke that has cut off blood to part of the brain. Without oxygen and nutrients, brain cells die, making it difficult to retrieve words.
Aphasia does not affect intelligence. Some people improve dramatically in a few months. Others may need to find other ways to communicate. Speech and language therapy can help.
Researchers are exploring new types of speech therapy and non-invasive methods such as a procedure that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate brain cells.
The Die Hard actor’s family took to social media to confirm the news. Wills’ ex-wife Demi Moore also shared a post with a photo of the actor accompanying the announcement. She wrote, “To Bruce’s wonderful supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce is experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which affects his cognitive abilities. It’s affecting. As a result, and very deliberately, Bruce is walking away from a career that means a lot to him.”
The statement further read, “This is a truly challenging time for our family and we greatly appreciate your continued love, compassion and support. We are growing beyond this as a strong family unit, and we want to bring in his fans because we know how much he means to you just as much as you do to him. As Bruce always says, “live it up” and together we plan to do so.”
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