The article has been checked for accuracy (content includes links to reputable media sites, academic research institutions, and occasionally medical studies). All content on our website has been reviewed, however, if you believe our content is inaccurate, out of date or otherwise questionable, you may contact us to make the necessary corrections.
6 minutes
The action movie star received a harsh diagnosis that forces him to put his career on hold. Is it possible to treat aphasia?
Perhaps the most recognized action actor for those of us who enjoyed the cinema of the 1980s and 1990s. And also one of the most prolific in all of Hollywood, with 145 films filmed. But one of Bruce Willis’ daughters has announced that she suffers from aphasia and that she must give up acting.
Through a social media statementRumer Willis (daughter of Bruce and Demi Moore) had this to say:
As a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and recently received a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that is impairing his cognitive abilities. As a result of this situation and after much consideration, Bruce decided to step aside from the career that means so much to him.
We are going to analyze what is the aphasia that Bruce Willis was diagnosed with and how this disorder affects daily life. So we can understand why the movie star had no choice but to put acting aside.
What is aphasia?
Aphasia is a communication disorder. It can affect oral or written expression and also manifest as a problem in both areas at the same time.
It is considered to appear when there is a section of the brain linked to communication that is damaged, that receives less circulation or that has deteriorated in its neuronal connections. The range of possible origins of the disorder is so wide that we can only list some of the most important:
- Cerebrovascular accident (CVA): in fact, up to a third of stroke patients count aphasia among their symptoms.
- Vascular dementia.
- Tumor in the brain.
- Neurodegeneration.
What are the symptoms?
Specifically, we don’t know what symptoms Bruce Willis has that correspond to his aphasia. In general, the signs of the problem can appear in 2 areas: in the reception of the message that others emit or in the expression of the message that the patient wants to transmit.
Sometimes the symptoms are mixed and the person does not fully understand what he hears, as well as having difficulty expressing himself in response to what he heard. Similarly, complications may be evident when speaking or writing, as well as when reading, for example.
In expressiveness, the most frequent symptoms are the following:
- Say words cut or they are incomplete.
- Change the order of the words in a sentence.
- Make sentences that don’t make any grammatical sense.
- Insert words that have nothing to do with the context to replace a word that would be logical.
It should be clarified that the patient may not be aware of what he is doing. That is, in his mind what he says may sound good, even if others do not understand it.
In other cases, the aphasic is able to recognize that he does not say the right words or that he orders them wrong. And even though he makes an effort to express himself correctly, he ends up making sounds that he didn’t mean to. This situation is frustrating and exhausting for the person.
On the other hand, we have the symptoms of failure in the interpretation of the message received from others:
- Not understanding metaphors or making sense of them literally, without recognizing the figurative meaning.
- Interpret something different from what the receiver said, even if he has expressed himself correctly.
types of aphasia
There is not just one type of aphasia and we do not have the precise information to catalog what Bruce Willis suffers from. Although they share symptoms, each variety of presentation can respond to different causes.
Broca’s aphasia
This manifestation generally appears when the frontal lobe of the brain is damagedmainly in its left region. The person has serious difficulties in speaking, so he emits broken sentences, omits words and does not fully understand what they say to him. Sometimes there are accompanying physical symptoms, such as a paralysis of the right side of the body.
Wernicke’s aphasia
In this case the left hemisphere of the brain is usually damaged, which entails a lack in the interpretation of the messages that are received. Even with the possibility of speaking well.
However, it has been noted that these patients produce long sentences that end up being unintelligible. In these long lengths it is common to include some single words that do not complete the meaning.
overall aphasia
As its name indicates, it is a disorder that has global implications for communication. This means that the person finds it difficult to speak and understand others. In its most aggressive evolution, it prevents patients from speaking or writing.
anomic aphasia
This rare form of aphasia is characterized by patients do not find the right words for their story. It is possible that stop your prayers for long periods until they found (or not) the term they wanted to use. At the time of writing the same thing happens to them. But they almost never have trouble understanding the message they receive.
neurodegenerative aphasia
Also known as primary progressive aphasiaresponds to a pathological cause that involves neuronal deterioration. Alzheimer’s disease might be the most notorious example.
The passage of time worsens the picture and more and more functions are lost. It can start with some difficulty speaking, then progressing to the impossibility of understanding others and the symptoms of cognitive impairment typical of the underlying disease, such as memory loss.
Will Bruce Willis be able to treat his aphasia?
The treatment of aphasia, in any of its forms, is complex. Rapid breakthroughs are not expected and it is assumed that there is no chance of full function recovery.
The Speech therapy by trained speech therapists is the cornerstone to start the approach. There are no medications that can be prescribed for treatment, although synapse-modifying drugs, such as memantine, are being experimented with. For now, everything is hypothesis.
Bruce Willis’s aphasia shows how a neurological problem can generate a situation that alters daily life and professional career. Retired from the films, the actor will have to concentrate on his recovery.
You might be interested…