PHOENIX - Almost a year after it was announced that he was stepping away from acting, Bruce Willis' family announced that the actor has been diagnosed with a form of dementia called frontotemporal dementia (FTD)."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," the family wrote.Here's what you should know about the disease Willis has been diagnosed with.When it was announced that Willis was stepping away from acting in 2022, his family revealed that the actor was diagnosed with aphasia.According to the Mayo Clinic, aphasia is a disorder that affects how a person communicates."Aphasia usually happens suddenly after a stroke or a head injury.
But it can also come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative)," a portion of Mayo Clinic's website reads.In a statement released on Feb.
16, 2023, members of Willis' family said since their announcement in 2022, Willis' condition has progressed, and a diagnosis of FTD was given."For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know," a portion of the statement read.According to the Mayo Clinic's webpage on the condition, frontoptemporal dementia, also known as FTD, is an umbrella term for a group of brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain."These areas of the brain are generally associated with personality, behavior and language," read a portion of the webpage.On the website of the Alzheimer's Association, it is noted that FTD used to be called "Pick's.