Star presenter Wendy Williams was diagnosed with a brain disease like Bruce Willis

“The decision to share this news was difficult and was made after careful consideration, not only to encourage understanding and compassion for Wendy, but also to raise awareness of aphasia and frontotemporal dementia,” Williams’ care team said in a statement.

Aphasia is a devastating condition that robs a person of their ability to communicate, making it difficult for them to write, speak or even understand what others are saying, CNN explains.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, aphasia caused by damage to the brain’s language centers is often the result of a traumatic brain injury, an infection or tumor in the brain, or a degenerative brain disease such as dementia.

People with aphasia may have difficulty finding words, use words out of order, speak choppyly, stutter, or use short passages of speech. They may even make up nonsense words and use them in their speech and writing.

Williams received diagnoses of aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023, her representatives said. Williams had previously been diagnosed with Graves’ disease and lymphedema and had been in rehab for alcohol abuse.

“Over the past several years, questions have arisen from time to time about Wendy’s ability to process information, and many have speculated about Wendy’s condition, particularly when she began to become speechless, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions,” the statement said.

Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is a group of disorders caused by a buildup of tau and other brain cell-damaging proteins in the brain’s frontal lobes (behind the forehead) or temporal lobes (behind the ears). According to the UK Alzheimer’s Study, the disease usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 64, CNN notes.

“The most common dementia in people under age 60, FTD can cause problems with communication as well as changes in behavior, personality, or movement,” the Frontotemporal Degeneration Association said in a statement.

According to the US National Institute on Aging, people with FTD typically live with the condition for six to eight years. Between 10% and 30% of FTD cases are inherited. Other than genetics, there are no known risk factors, although researchers are studying what role the thyroid gland and insulin may play in causing the disease.

Because his symptoms began with difficulty speaking, Bruce Willis was classified as having a type of FTD called primary progressive aphasia, according to Dr. Henry Paulson, professor of neurology and director of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of Michigan.

“Aphasia actually means problems with speech, and these can range from problems finding words to understanding what people are saying. This may occur due to a brain tumor, stroke or progressive neurodegenerative disease,” Paulson said.

“Because his diagnosis is frontotemporal dementia, Mr. Willis clearly has a progressive neurodegenerative disease, as opposed to a stroke, tumor or some other brain lesion,” he added.

There are two other types of FTD. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is characterized by changes in executive function, thinking and planning.

Another type affects motor neurons and can result in an inability to swallow, muscle stiffness and difficulty using the hands to “perform movements despite normal strength, such as difficulty pressing buttons or operating small appliances,” according to the National Institute on Aging.

At first, it may be difficult to determine exactly what type of FTD a person has—or even whether it is FTD—because symptoms and the order in which they appear can vary from one person to another and depend on which parts of the frontal or temporal lobes are affected.

With behavioral FTD, people rarely have memory problems, according to the National Institute on Aging. Instead, they have difficulty planning and organizing their thinking and have difficulty setting priorities. They may repeat the same action or word over and over again, lose interest in life and act impulsively – saying inappropriate words or doing things that others may perceive as embarrassing.

In primary progressive aphasia, or PPA, a person may have trouble pronouncing or understanding words or may slur speech. Over time, they may not recognize familiar faces and objects. Some may become mute.

“Primary progressive aphasia may begin with difficulty finding simple words, so people start using simpler or more general words for things they can’t fully remember,” says Paulson.

“Now this is also associated with aging, but when language requires more effort on a daily basis or comprehension declines, it is a sign that someone should see a doctor for evaluation,” he said.

FTD motor neuron disorders may not affect memory, cognition, speech, or behavior, especially at first. Initial signs may include an inability to control movements or problems with balance and walking. A characteristic feature of one of these disorders, progressive supranuclear palsy, is difficulty looking down or making other eye movements.

To diagnose FTD disorders, a neurologist will perform a thorough clinical examination combined with psychological testing designed to assess cognitive skills, Paulson says.

“MRI of the brain can tell us whether certain areas of the brain are shrinking or showing signs of atrophy. We’ll do some blood tests to make sure we haven’t missed some treatable causes of cognitive impairment, such as thyroid disease or vitamin B12 deficiency,” he said.

“And often we also do metabolic imaging of the brain,” Paulson said. “It’s a positron emission tomography or PET scan that can tell us which parts of the frontal lobes or temporal lobes are involved.”

Unlike Alzheimer’s disease, there are currently no treatments to slow the progression of FTD. Health care providers may try to improve a patient’s quality of life by prescribing medications to reduce agitation, irritability, or depression.

A speech-language pathologist can help determine the best strategies and tools for an FTD patient who is experiencing difficulty with language skills. Physical or occupational therapy under the guidance of a doctor who specializes in these disorders may help with movement symptoms.

“For people with advanced dementia syndrome such as FTD, it is really important to continue to eat well, exercise regularly and stay connected to people. These activities are not cures, they do not cure the disease, but they can help your brain function at its best,” Paulson said.

As the disease progresses, patients can continue to lead active, fulfilling lives by adapting to their symptoms in empowering ways, he added.

“I have seen patients who were completely speechless, and yet they went outside, took a camera and took beautiful photographs of their lives. They can’t tell me in words, but they can tell me in pictures,” notes Paulson.

“I tell all my patients, ‘Don’t let this disease take over you. It belongs to you,'” he added. “Of course you have lost some skills due to the disease you have, but you still have a lot of skills left and you work with the skills you have.”