Bruce Willis' Departure from Acting
- The family of iconic actor Bruce Willis just announced that he would be stepping away from acting due to an aphasia diagnosis.
- Aphasia is “a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. There are many different types of the disorder and it’s unclear which type Willis has.
- Aphasia is caused by damage to the language-dominant side of the brain. Many different things like stroke, head injury, infection and dementia can lead to this damage, but it can also be cause by a brain tumor which can be cancerous or noncancerous.
From playing a tough NYC police officer in Die Hard to a boxer on the run in Pulp Fiction, Willis and his rugged charm have been gracing our screens since his first lead role in a feature film with the 1987 movie Blind Date. But, sadly, we can’t expect new films with the iconic actor in the near future due to his newly announced disorder.
The Announcement from Bruce Willis’ Family
Read More“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 post reads. “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”View this post on Instagram
The post then goes on to explain how the family is doing during this difficult time.
“This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” it reads. “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. As Bruce always says, "Live it up" and together we plan to do just that.”
What Is Aphasia?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, aphasia is “a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension” leaving the affected person unable to effectively communicate with others.
It’s important to note, however, that there are many different types of aphasia, and it’s unclear exactly what type Willis has. The different types are generally diagnosed based on which area of the language-dominant side of the brain is affected and the extent of the damage.
Causes
No matter what type, aphasia is caused by damage to the language-dominant side of the brain. But many different things can lead to this damage including:
- Stroke
- Head injury
- Brain tumor (which can be cancerous or non-cancerous)
- Infection
- Dementia
Symptoms of Aphasia
Symptoms of the disorder can vary depending on the type of aphasia. But people with the disorder may:
- Speak in short or incomplete sentences
- Speak in sentences that don’t make sense
- Substitute one word for another or one sound for another
- Speak unrecognizable words
- Not understand other people’s conversation
- Write sentences that don’t make sense
Treatment
Some people with aphasia recover completely without treatment, but most people typically have some amount of aphasia that remains. The goal of treatment is to improve your ability to communicate through methods that may include:
- Speech-language therapy
- Nonverbal communication therapies, such as computers or pictures
- Group therapy for patients and their families
It’s important to note that aphasia can look very different from person to person with a wide range of speaking and understanding abilities. But no matter what kind of aphasia a person has, the family of the person affected should try their best to learn how to communicate with their loved one. Speech therapists can often be a huge help with this.
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Tumor-Related Aphasia
In order to understanding tumor-related aphasia, we must first take a look at what a brain tumor actually is.
There are many different types of brain and spinal cord tumors, but normal function of the brain and spinal cord can become difficult if there's a tumor present that puts pressure on or spreads into nearby normal tissue. Additionally, some are more likely to spread into nearby parts of the brain or spinal cord than others. Slow-growing tumors may be considered benign (noncancerous), but even these tumors can cause serious problems.
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Symptoms of brain tumors, as a whole, are often caused by increased pressure in the skull. This pressure can be caused by tumor growth, swelling in the brain or blockage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to the American Cancer Society.
General symptoms may include the following, but it is important to note that these symptoms are not exclusive to brain tumors:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Balance problems
- Personality or behavior changes
- Seizures
- Drowsiness or even coma
That being said, brain tumors may cause a wide range of neurological dysfunctions, including aphasia. In fact, an article published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in The ASHA Leader says that about 30 to 50 percent of patients with primary brain tumors experience aphasia compared to the 21 to 38 percent of acute stroke patients that experience it. Still, strokes, in general, are far more common than brain tumors, and brain damage from a stroke is the most common cause of aphasia.
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