Bruce Willis and the fight with FTD
Bruce Willis, the famous Hollywood actor with the nickname "the tough one", whom fans of films know well, is at present fighting with the illness of FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia), or "frontotemporal dementia", which is another disease that is met rarely and is difficult to diagnose
From the first period, Bruce Willis was diagnosed as having Aphasia (a state of losing the use of language), before the physicians confirmed the diagnosis clearly as FTD. That is therefore an example that makes it seen that this disease is difficult to diagnose in the first stage, and usually begins from a problem in the field of communication or behaviour, rather than memory
What is FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia), or "frontotemporal dementia"
FTD is a kind of disease of dementia that is met less than Alzheimer's, and usually arises in the period of the age of 40-60 years. It arises from the degeneration and shrinking of the nerve cells at the area of the front part of the brain (Frontal Lobes), which controls behaviour, personality, and decision, and of the temporal part of the brain (Temporal Lobes), which controls understanding and the use of language
The difference between FTD and Alzheimer's is the beginning stage of the symptoms. Alzheimer's usually begins from "memory", but FTD usually begins from 1 of 2 respects, namely
- Behaviour (Behavioral Variant) : this is the symptom met most often. The patient may have changed behaviour, such as indifference (Apathy), not being interested in the people around them, or on the contrary, having aggressive behaviour, lacking restraint, and doing things that are not suitable in public
- Language (Language Variant): or what is called PPA (Primary Progressive Aphasia). The patient begins to have the problem of not being able to think of the words to say, speaking haltingly, or not understanding the meaning of vocabulary
The treatment of and dealing with the front part of the brain
FTD is a disease in which the symptoms get worse continually (Progressive). In the first stage there may be only a slight change, but the symptoms become clearer until they affect working and going into society, and in the last stage the patient may have problems of movement similar to Parkinson's disease and need care 24 hours
At present FTD still has no medicine to treat it so that it is completely cured. The care therefore emphasises supporting the symptoms and maintaining the quality of life of the patient and of the carer
In respect of the care of the living of life, creating a daily routine that is clear and regular will help reduce confusion and create mental stability for the patient, alongside communication that must be changed, by speaking slowly and clearly, using simple sentences, and giving the patient time to think of the words. Besides this, the environment inside the house must be safe, with obstacles reduced, and stimuli that may make the patient confused or aggressive reduced
As for the method of dealing with it when a change of behaviour arises, the most important thing is understanding. The carer must always remind themselves that the behaviour that is not suitable "is a symptom of the disease", not the real self of the patient. Therefore arguing or using reason usually does not give a result. A better method is the use of "redirection" (Redirection), by inviting them to do another activity instead of reproaching them
Lastly, what must be greatly guarded against is Caregiver Burnout, or the state of the carer's fire going out. Caring for a patient with FTD has very high stress, making the carer greatly at risk of this state. The carer must therefore not bear it alone, but must dare to ask for help from the people in the family, from friends, or from a group of counsellors, and what is important is that they must find time to rest, in order to restore both the body and the mind, because "you must care for yourself well first, in order to have the strength to go and care for the one you love"
FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia), or "frontotemporal dementia", is considered a disease that creates a challenge both for the patient themselves and for the carer, who must understand the ways of dealing with the change very much
At PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic we have the service in the field of neurological rehabilitation medicine (Neurorehabilitation) by a team of physicians and experts, who can give a consultation and help lay out an integrated plan of care, in order to relieve the symptoms of the patient and help reduce the burden of the carer
- Assessing and restoring communication: laying out a plan for dealing with the state of Aphasia (losing the use of language) and with problems in the field of behaviour, with a speech correction specialist (Speech Therapist)
- Giving recommendations to the carer (Caregiver Support): teaching correct techniques of communication, the way of dealing with the change of behaviour, and the arranging of a safe environment (preventing Caregiver Burnout)
- Care as a whole: emphasising neurological rehabilitation (Neurorehabilitation) in order to support the symptoms and slow the decline, as well as caring for the problems of movement (a state of stiffness and tension) that may arise in the last stage