What Is Aphasia? The Health Condition Bruce Willis has Been Diagnosed With

Action hero Bruce Willis, who was recently diagnosed with aphasia, is retiring from his acting career due to health issues, his family announced on Wednesday. Bruce Will's family posted a joint statement on the Instagram handle saying that aphasia is impacting his cognitive abilities. Bruce Wills recent diagnosis has sent shockwaves across the entertainment world but has once again put spotlight on the poorly understood communication disorder. 

What is Aphasia?

Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. Aphasia leaves a person unable to communicate effectively with others. Many people have aphasia as a result of stroke. The National Aphasia Association estimates 2 million Americans are affected and nearly 180,000 get the disorder every year. Willis’ family announced Wednesday that the 67-year-old actor has been diagnosed with Aphasia but did not provide any details on a possible cause.For an actor, aphasia could pose a huge challenge depending on how severe it is, said Johns Hopkins University cognitive scientist Brenda Rapp, who works with people with the condition. “You can imagine how frustrating it is if you can’t find words, if you can’t organize words into sentences, if you can’t get your mouth to produce the sounds you want it to produce,” Rapp told AP. “You are still yourself… but you may not sound like yourself.”Aphasia does not affect intelligence. Some people improve dramatically in a few months. Others may need to find other ways to communicate. Speech and language therapy can help.