On Thursday, Willis’ family said he has been diagnosed with a more advanced form of the condition, frontotemporal dementia (FTD). FTD is a group of neurological disorders caused by the degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, according to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration [https://www.theaftd.org/what-is-ftd/disease-overview/]. It is most common in people under 60 and can progress over two to 20 years, with an average life expectancy of seven to 13 years after symptoms begin. Unfortunately, there is no cure or treatment currently available for FTD.
Willis’ family said it hoped to use his story to “bring more awareness to the disease and push for research toward finding treatments.”
On Thursday, actor Bruce Willis' family announced that he has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a neurological disorder that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Willis previously announced his retirement from acting in 2022 due to a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that affects the ability to communicate.
FTD is most common in people under 60 and can progress over two to 20 years, with an average life expectancy of seven to 13 years after symptoms begin. Unfortunately, there is no cure or treatment currently available for FTD.
Willis' family said it hopes to use his story to "bring more awareness to the disease and push for research toward finding treatments." They added, “For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.”
Willis' former co-workers told the Los Angeles Times last year that he had been struggling for years on set, which likely contributed to his diagnosis. His family said it was a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis, but it is a painful experience nonetheless.
The actor's family said that by sharing his story, they hope to bring attention to FTD and to the importance of finding treatments for it.