Aphasia is a disease caused by damage to specific brain areas. The study of aphasia in patients has traditionally provided valuable insights into the neurological basics of language. Iconic actor Walter Bruce Willis was diagnosed with this condition three years ago.
Types of aphasia
- Broca’s aphasia: caused by damage to the left frontal lobe, it affects speech production, leading to short, fragmented sentences and the omission of functional words. However, comprehension is often preserved.
- Wernicke’s aphasia: affects the left temporal lobe. Patients speak fluently, but their sentences lack meaning, and they struggle to understand language.
- Conduction aphasia: results from damage to the arcuate fasciculus, the connection between Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas. Patients understand language but struggle to repeat words and often make sound substitution errors.
- Transcortical sensory aphasia: caused by damage to the posterior parietal areas. Patients can repeat phrases but have difficulty understanding language and naming objects.
- Transcortical motor aphasia: triggered by damage to the upper frontal areas. Comprehension and repetition remain intact, but initiating speech is difficult, leading to non-fluent speech patterns.
Bruce Willis faces his toughest battle
Bruce Willis, renowned for his roles in films such as Pulp Fiction and Die Hard, was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022, leading to his retirement from acting. Rumours initially suggested a work-related accident as the cause. However, his condition later progressed to frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a disease affecting behaviour, personality, and language.
The progression to FTD suggests a neurodegenerative cause. This diagnosis is as unexpected as it is challenging—even for someone who has portrayed action heroes battling relentless enemies. Now, Willis faces a silent yet unyielding adversary: a disease that attacks from within, testing both his resilience and that of his loved ones.
#Aphasia #BruceWillis #LanguageAphasia #PulpFiction #BrainDamage
Óscar Fernández García.
Valladolid, 10th March 2025.
