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Bruce Willis has frontotemporal dementia. What is FTD?

Bruce Willis attends a movie premiere in New York on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. Nearly a year after Bruce Willis’ family announced that he would step away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, his family says his “condition has progressed.” In a statement posted Thursday, the 67-year-old actor’s family said Willis has a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) Bruce Willis attends a movie premiere in New York on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. Nearly a year after Bruce Willis’ family announced that he would step away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, his family says his “condition has progressed.” In a statement posted Thursday, the 67-year-old actor’s family said Willis has a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

By The Associated Press February 17, 2023 2 min read

Bruce Willis’ family has announced that he has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

The announcement Thursday came about a year after his family said that Willis would step away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder that leads to speaking, reading and writing problems.

Here’s some details on the condition:

WHAT IS FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA?

There are different types of dementia, and the frontotemporal form affects regions in the front and sides of the brain. Because it causes problems with behavior and language, aphasia can be a symptom.