The news broke on Wednesday that Hollywood legend Bruce Willis would be quitting acting following a devastating diagnosis.
It was confirmed by the Willis family that the 67-year-old would be moving away from the limelight in what was a “really challenging time”.
A statement said: “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. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
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Best known for his roles in Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, Sin City and Armageddon, Willis has collected an impressive list of credits throughout the years.
So, what is aphasia and how does it affect those with it?
Aphasia can be caused by a stroke, tumour, head injury or by other damage to the language centres of the brain. Infection in the brain or Alzheimer’s disease can also trigger it.
For most people, a stroke can cut off blood to part of the brain, resulting in brain cells dying and therefore, difficulty retrieving words.
Those with aphasia can also struggle to use words in order, speak in a choppy, halting manner or use short fragments of speech. They may make up words and use them in their sentences and writing.
Communicating with others can become difficult for someone with aphasia, as they may need extra time to absorb what is being said to them or what they are reading. They may lose the ability to recognize words by sight or to sound out written words.
According to the National Aphasia Association, it affects more than 2 million Americans, and is “more common than Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy”.
In the Willis family’s statement, signed by Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn, no possible cause was mentioned. The condition could be hugely difficult for an actor, depending on the severity of it.
Brenda Rapp, a cognitive scientist from John Hopkins University, told the Guardian: “You can imagine how frustrating it is if you can’t find words, if you can’t organise words into sentences, if you can’t get your mouth to produce the sounds you want it to produce. You are still yourself … but you may not sound like yourself.”
It can also impact a person’s ability to accurately copy letters and words. It has no effect on a person’s intelligence. For some, they may improve dramatically over months while others need to find different ways to communicate.
Therapy in speech and language can help, with researchers looking into new treatments and non-invasive methods. This includes a procedure that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate brain cells, the Guardian reports.
Treatment will mainly focus on a person’s symptoms. For those with milder forms of the condition, their treatment can be restorative. For those who have degenerative conditions, where further decline is expected, CNN reports that health professionals often focus on providing compensatory assistance in the form of pictures and large print formatting to help the person communicate.
Complete recovery from aphasia is unlikely if symptoms last longer than two or three months after a stroke but the National Aphasia Association add that "some people continue to improve over a period of years and even decades".
For those who may be worried about symptoms of aphasia, speak to a doctor about what you are experiencing. Charities such as Aphasia Ireland aim to create awareness and support for those who suffer from the condition.
