Living with dementia

Bruce Willis’ diagnosis: what lies behind aphasia

The speech disorder aphasia ended Bruce Willis' acting career.

(Bild: EPA/WILL OLIVER)

On Father's Day, Bruce Willis was celebrated by his family with loving news. As reported, the Hollywood star suffers from a rare form of dementia, which results in aphasia. What is behind the disease and what does it mean for those affected and their relatives? 

Aphasia is a speech disorder and not a speech disorder such as stuttering. It is not about the articulation of sounds, but aphasia sufferers are unable to form and/or understand words mentally. "People who suffer from a speech disorder are impaired in their speech, but are not mentally disabled," emphasizes Prim. Dr. Andreas Winkler, neurologist in Vienna and Lower Austria. What causes people to "fall silent"?