Aphasia

An aphasia diagnosis has prompted Bruce Willis to step away from acting. What is aphasia and what causes it? Read about common symptoms and treatment.

When mild, aphasia may affect just a single aspect of language use. Aphasia describes a neurological condition that affects a person’s ability to communicate verbally or through writing. Aphasia’s symptoms vary, as can their severity. Aphasia is caused by damage to one or more areas of the brain that deal with language, according to the National Institutes of Health. The most common cause of aphasia is brain damage from a stroke, though it can also arise as a result of a head injury, brain tumor, infection or degenerative disease like Alzheimer's. "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him," the post said.

The little-known condition can be caused by a stroke, tumour, head injury or other damage to the language centres of the brain. It can also be triggered by a ...

This often hidden disorder impacts people’s ability to express themselves with words and/or understand verbal language.” Without oxygen and nutrients, brain cells die, which leads to the difficulty retrieving words. It can also be triggered by a brain infection or Alzheimer’s disease.

While details of Willis' diagnosis are unknown, medical experts stress the importance of the brain condition and how its specifically treated — depending on ...

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After a career spanning 40 years, 67-year-old Bruce Willis has stepped away from acting due to health issues, including a diagnosis of aphasia.

Be aware of the signs of stroke and aphasia associated with dementia. The impact of aphasia is not just felt by the person with aphasia. A speech pathologist can also be a part of this process. This includes working with medical, nursing and allied health professionals such as psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers and physiotherapists. They work within multidisciplinary health-care teams across a variety of hospital and community-based sites. Willis can be grateful in this respect.

The news that film star Bruce Willis has retired from acting due to aphasia has shone a spotlight on the poorly understood communication disorder.

And it's difficult for that person to understand what they're hearing," added Hatfield. "It's similar to all of a sudden waking up in a country where you don't speak the language," said Hatfield, rather than a change in underlying cognitive abilities. In the case of progressive aphasia, developing drugs that target the build up of protein plaques and tangles in the brain that cause neurodegenerative disease are thought to be the way forward. The brain is extremely plastic, and speech therapy can engage other parts of it to "bypass the roadblocks" of the damaged areas, and forge new connections, said Rapp. Family members can also develop strategies to make themselves better understood: "Things like shorter sentences, and making sure that you're talking to the person in full view instead of the other room, and minimising background noise," said Botha. The brain system governing language is a "very complex machine" that involves selecting the right words, moving the mouth appropriately to vocalise them, and on the other end hearing and decoding their meaning, said Rapp.

Bruce Willis has retired after being diagnosed with a medical condition called aphasia. What is it, what causes it, and what are the treatments available?

If the damage is to the language centre of the brain, it presents difficulty in understanding or being able to find the right words. Studies are ongoing to develop therapeutics that help the brain heal or replenish neurotransmitters. People with this pattern of the condition struggle to get the words out and often use short phrases such as ‘want food’. “They start with small words and their associations, and move on to more complex ones. Since the filing system is muddled, they also have difficulty understanding others. The Indian Express explains.

Actor Bruce Willis, 67, is “stepping away” from his career in film and TV after being diagnosed with aphasia, his family announced on March 30, 2022.

But the road can be long, and it depends on the extent of damage to the brain. Unlike in cases of stroke, the onset will be very mild at first – people will slowly forget the names of people or of objects. It is usually people over the age of 65 simply because they have a higher risk of stroke. There is also a separate form of the condition called primary progressive aphasia. A loss of both speaking and comprehension of language would suggest damage to both the large temporal lobe and frontal lobe. Some people with aphasia only have difficulty understanding language – a result of damage to the temporal lobe, which governs how sound and language are processed in the brain.

The veteran Hollywood actor's retirement has drawn attention to the little-known illness that has many causes.

Most commonly, it is caused by a stroke that cuts off blood to part of the brain. “As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” the family said in a statement. The announcement by American actor Bruce Willis that he will be “stepping away” from the big screen has drawn attention to aphasia, a little-known condition with many causes.

Fans and some of Hollywood's biggest stars have shown support for the actor after his decision to retire due to a condition that causes difficulties with ...

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication explains that aphasia is caused by damage to one or more of the language areas of the brain. The chance of recovery is poorer for people with aphasia resulting from a progressive neurological condition. The physician also typically tests the person’s ability to understand and produce language, such as following commands, answering questions, naming objects, and carrying on a conversation, explains the institution. Depending on which areas of the brain are affected, a person might have different levels of ability to speak and understand others. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him. “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support.

Aphasia can make it harder for people to write, speak, and understand language. The actor's family shared his diagnosis on Instagram.

“As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” she added. Treatment is usually focused on improving language and communication skills, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Patients may work with a speech-language pathologist on exercises to improve reading, speaking, writing, and comprehension. Actor Bruce Willis is “stepping away” from his career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that’s caused by damage to regions of the brain involved in language comprehension and expression.

While the Willis family didn't specify the cause of the actor's diagnosis, aphasia is linked to brain damage, either as a result of stroke, injury, or illness.

Wernicke’s aphasia is typically the result of temporal-lobe damage and impacts someone’s ability to connect speech with meaning: They’ll often speak in long, incoherent sentences and are unaware of their mistakes. If there’s a tumor pressing on a particular part of the brain that’s successfully removed, the aphasia often resolves. Aphasia is usually the result of damage to the left side of the brain, where the areas responsible for language are located. Depending on what area of the brain is damaged, aphasia will take different forms, the most common of which are Wernicke’s aphasia and Broca’s aphasia. People with mild forms of the disorder may only have trouble retrieving the names of objects or struggle to string words together. Caused by damage to the brain’s language centers, it impacts the ability to access ideas and thoughts.

Actor Bruce Willis is leaving his career in acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. Here's what you need to know about how it impairs communication and ...

But the road can be long, and it depends on the extent of damage to the brain. Unlike in cases of stroke, the onset will be very mild at first – people will slowly forget the names of people or of objects. Clinical trial of certain types of drugs are under way but in the early stages. It is usually people over the age of 65 simply because they have a higher risk of stroke. When people have aphasia after stroke or hemorrhage, the diagnosis is made by a neurologist. In the non-progressive form, consistent therapy will result in recovery of speech and understanding. There is also a separate form of the condition called primary progressive aphasia. But people at higher risk of stroke – so those with cardiovascular disabilities and diabetes – are more at risk. In the U.S., around 2 million people have aphasia and around 225,000 Americans are diagnosed every year. A loss of both speaking and comprehension of language would suggest damage to both the large temporal lobe and frontal lobe. Some people with aphasia only have difficulty understanding language – a result of damage to the temporal lobe, which governs how sound and language are processed in the brain. Almost everyone with aphasia struggles when trying to come up with the names of things they know, but can’t find the name for.

What is aphasia? What are the symptoms of aphasia? Are there any preventive methods, treatments or cures? How can you effectively communicate with someone who ...