Willis’s family announced that the condition would make the Die Hard star move away “from the career that meant so much to him”. About one million Americans suffer from the disease, according to the National Institutes of Health, and about 180,000 people are diagnosed with it each year. It can occur in many ways and is often the result of a head injury, stroke, tumor or other deterioration of the brain. Aphasia can also be catastrophic, with experts saying it causes depression in more than a third of cases, can lead to personality changes and can even alienate friends and family from the sufferer. Other notable examples of aphasia include former Arizona MP Gabby Giffords and Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke. “Imagine falling into a country where you do not speak the language – you can not understand, read, write or speak. “It’s going to have an impact on all of your interactions – that’s how aphasia is,” Darlene Williamson, president of the aphasia association, told DailyMail.com. While it is impossible to say for Willis how drastically the situation has affected him and his behavior, Williamson says it can often be devastating to patients. “The consequences of living with a language disability can change one’s behavior and outlook on life,” Williamson said. “About 35 percent of people with aphasia have some form of depression.” The cause of the condition, which is often some kind of traumatic brain injury or stroke, can lead to huge personality changes. ‘[Aphasia is] difficulty in the tongue due to some kind of injury to the brain. “The most common source is stroke, but it could come from any other type of damage,” Dr Brenda Rapp, a cognitive scientist at Johns Hopkins University, told DailyMail.com. Certain infections that affect the language centers of the brain can also cause aphasia, along with cognitive impairment and aggravation associated with dementia. The situation can make it very difficult for an actor like Willis to continue his career, and just the process of expressing the lines can become a challenge. “It would definitely be difficult,” Williamson said of trying to continue acting while suffering from the condition. “Aphasia affects language comprehension, speech, as well as reading and writing. There are different levels of severity that would be another determining factor. It may not be impossible, but acting would require extra accommodation. “ Dr. Rapp said that despite the communication failures caused by the condition, people with the condition still have the same thoughts and are internally the same person. Although the experience may be alienating, loved ones should remember that the person has not changed. In the photo: Willis with family and friends after a “roast” event in 2018 There are four common types of aphasia that make up the vast majority of cases: flawless – often referred to as Wernicke’s. unmistakably – known as Broca’s. anomalous; and Primary Progressive Aphasia. Rapp explained that there are different forms of the disease, because each represents a different type of damage to the communication process. Whether it is the ability to translate thoughts into correct words, the ability to physically express words or the ability to interpret and understand speech by others, any part of communication is a complex process and even a slight brain injury can cause problems. While the condition causes communication failures, Rapp notes that the individual is still the same. Their thoughts, beliefs and feelings towards their loved ones remain, even if it can be frustrating and alienating for both the aphasia patient and those around him to deal with this situation. Willis’s family did not disclose what type he was dealing with, or how serious his condition was, or what the underlying cause of the condition was. According to the Stroke Association, a UK-based group, people with Wernicke aphasia have the ability to compose long word sentences, but often say things in a way that makes no sense, or even uses compound words. They will also suffer from reduced reading and writing skills and may have difficulty understanding clear verbal communication with them. An example used by Rapp is that a person may misunderstand the phrase “John kicked the dog”. Dr Brenda Rapp, a cognitive scientist at Johns Hopkins University, explains that aphasia is often caused by a stroke and can manifest in many different ways. While the average person would clearly understand who kicked whom in this scenario, a person experiencing this type of condition may have a hard time figuring out if John or the dog was the one who kicked. Broca aphasia often causes a person to forget words or compose a correct set of words even when their brain can fully understand what they are trying to say. A person suffering from this type of condition will often use simple, short sentences to get past the speech, as he is not able to say correctly what he sometimes wants. The Stroke Association says these sentences will often be about four words or less. A person suffering from Broca aphasia will also have difficulty writing, but their reading ability remains unaffected. Someone suffering from anomalous aphasia may suffer to find specific verbs and nouns needed to understand his point of view and will speak very vaguely. This can also translate into their writing, where they simply will not be able to create the right words needed to say what they would like to say. Primary progressive aphasia aphasia impairs a person’s ability to communicate in virtually any way. A person suffering from this version of the condition will have trouble speaking, reading and writing. Their ability to process and understand someone who speaks to them is also impaired. Doctors can often detect aphasia by magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography and will be able to identify the exact part of the brain that is causing the problem. There is no way to completely cure or cure the condition, but patients often undergo speech therapy to help restore their language skills. “There is not much progress [with medication for the condition]”The cure for aphasia is speech therapy,” said Rapp. He noted that in some cases a person may undergo electrical stimulation therapy in addition to speech therapy in order to “get the most out” of the experience. Williamson said that “strong family support is a crucial part of a successful life with aphasia.” It is not always permanent, however, and how long it lasts and how severe it is often depends on how severe the damage to the brain is. Especially stroke victims who suffer from aphasia can regain their speech and often within just a few weeks.
