{"id":111599,"date":"2023-03-03T14:51:06","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/busm\/?p=111599"},"modified":"2023-03-03T14:51:38","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:51:38","slug":"what-now-for-bruce-willis-after-actors-recent-dementia-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/2023\/03\/03\/what-now-for-bruce-willis-after-actors-recent-dementia-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"What Now for Bruce Willis after Actor\u2019s Recent Dementia Diagnosis?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bruce
Bruce Willis\u2019 family has announced the Die Hard actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. At the moment, there\u2019s no cure, but BU neurologist Andrew Budson says medication and speech therapy can help some patients early on. Photo by Charles Sykes\/Invision\/AP, File<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Less than a year after Bruce Willis\u2019 family shared that the famed actor had the neurological disorder aphasia<\/a>, they\u2019ve announced that his condition has progressed and that he has a new diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia. A group of disorders characterized by a progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the frontal lobe or the brain regions underneath the ears, frontotemporal dementia (FTD)\u2014previously known as Pick\u2019s disease\u2014is currently incurable.<\/p>\n

In a statement shared by the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration<\/a>, Willis\u2019 family called FTD a \u201ccruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone.\u201d After his aphasia diagnosis, some had wondered if the star of Die Hard<\/em>, Sixth Sense<\/em>, and Armageddon<\/em> would ever grace the silver screen again; this latest update almost certainly means the forthcoming action flick, Assassin<\/em><\/a>\u2014filmed in 2021\u2014will be his last. But, in their statement, his family said they hope Willis\u2019 star power can continue to make a difference in people\u2019s lives, helping shine attention on the disorder he\u2019s now facing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately,\u201d they wrote. \u201cWe know in our hearts that\u2014if he could today\u2014he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot
Andrew Budson, a BU professor of neurology, says much of his work on frontotemporal dementia is focused on helping families adjust to their loved ones\u2019 condition. Photo by Cydney Scott<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

Disease Research Center<\/a>, cognitive and behavioral neurologist and cognitive neuroscientist Andrew Budson<\/a> studies dementia, including FTD, exploring the causes and looking to improve diagnosis, as well as to lay the foundation for possible treatments. An expert on memory in people with Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other brain disorders, his recent clinical and research work has focused on helping patients use music, pictures, and other strategies to enhance their memory\u2014and reduce false memories. Budson, a BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine professor of neurology and chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, is also the author of popular books on memory, including this year\u2019s Why We Forget and How To Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory<\/em><\/a> (Oxford University Press).<\/p>\n

The Brink<\/em> spoke with Budson to learn more about FTD\u2014its causes, symptoms, progression, and what having the condition might mean for Willis\u2014and how close researchers are to finding a cure.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a> of the Q&A with Budson.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neurologist Andrew Budson of the BU Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Research Center explains frontotemporal dementia and its connection to Hollywood star\u2019s original aphasia diagnosis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":903,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[91],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111599"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/903"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111599"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111615,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111599\/revisions\/111615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}