Iconic Hollywood action star Bruce Willis has stepped away from his acting career after his family announced that he had been diagnosed with the brain disorder aphasia. Much of the public had no idea the actor was having health issues, let alone an issue that is evidently affecting nearly every aspect of his life.
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So, what exactly is aphasia? It's a disorder that specifically affects a person's ability to speak and to write. A statement released by the family of the 67-year-old actor said that the disorder is "impacting his cognitive abilities." Bruce is a beloved celebrity who has been a mainstay in the movies since the late 1980s, and fans will sorely miss seeing him on-screen. Keep scrolling to find out more about the disorder he's battling.
Bruce's wife and ex-wife explained his situation.
Both Bruce's wife, Emma Heming Willis, and his ex-wife, actress Demi Moore, announced his condition via Instagram posts on March 30, 2022. "To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," the joint posts read.
It wasn't an easy decision.
Considering the symptoms of aphasia would directly affect Bruce's ability to memorize and deliver lines, it makes sense that he is retiring, but it wasn't an easy decision. "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him," his family's statement read.
They are grateful for Bruce's supporters and fans.
"We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him," the statement read, also noting that it has been a "challenging" time for Bruce and his family.
Aphasia impairs communication.
Johns Hopkins Medicine defines aphasia as "a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. Aphasia leaves a person unable to communicate effectively with others."
What causes aphasia?
Aphasia is most often caused by a stroke. Neither Bruce's family nor representatives have said whether he had previously suffered from a stroke, but there are other causes to consider as well.
Damage to the brain is the root of it.
Aphasia can occur any time there is damage to the brain's language center, which could happen due to a head injury, Alzheimer's disease, an infection, or even a tumor, reports the Associated Press.
Bruce's age may be a factor.
Johns Hopkins says that the average age of aphasia patients is middle age to old age. Since Bruce is close to 70 years old, he falls right in that range. It's likely due to the fact that older people are at higher risk for strokes and progressive neurological conditions.
There are multiple types of aphasia.
There isn't just one type of aphasia. The primary difference depends on which area of the language-dominant side of the brain is affected and how bad the damage to that area is.
This is what we know about the three types of aphasia.
The three different types of aphasia are Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, and global aphasia. Broca's aphasia is a result of damage to the front part of the language center. Wernicke's aphasia affects the side portion, and global aphasia is due to widespread damage of the language center.
Damage to the left side could be a bigger factor.
Damage to the left side of the brain's language center is most commonly seen in those diagnosed with aphasia. We don't yet know which form of aphasia Bruce has been diagnosed with or how serious it is.
There are still unknowns.
The medical community still does not know whether aphasia can cause the "complete loss of language structure" or whether it affects how language is "accessed and used," explains Johns Hopkins.
Symptoms vary by type of aphasia.
Because the different types of aphasia affect different parts of the brain's language center, symptoms vary by type. With Broca's aphasia, individuals may leave out words when they speak, speak in short sentences, and experience some weakness on the right side of the body.
Wernicke's aphasia can be devastating.
In the case of Wernicke's aphasia, individuals may not be able to speak coherently. Sentences may be long and confusing, and they also may not be able to understand speech from others.
Global aphasia has a massive effect.
Because global aphasia affects more areas of the language center, it can affect both an individual's ability to communicate clearly and their ability to comprehend communication from others.
Some people recover, and it's treatable.
Some people do actually recover from aphasia without treatment, and symptoms can improve. Most aphasia patients, however, do benefit from treatment, which varies depending on several factors including age, cause, and overall health. Most treatment plans include speech-language therapy, nonverbal communication therapy (use of computers and/or pictures), and group therapy.
