What is the Brain Condition Frontotemporal Dementia?
2024-02-27
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1A brain wasting disease called frontotemporal dementia has gained attention after television and film personalities said they suffered from it.
2In a statement, caregivers said doctors told talk show host Wendy Williams that she had the unusual form of dementia.
3It said Williams had undergone many medical tests to identify the condition.
4Actor Bruce Willis is also reportedly affected by the condition.
5Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is a rare disease that affects parts of the brain controlling behavior and language.
6These parts of the brain shrink as the disease gets worse.
7FTD usually can affect people in their 40s through their early 60s.
8It can change a person's personality, causing a loss of control or wild behavior.
9It is sometimes mistaken for mental health disorders like depression or bipolar disorder.
10It can take years for doctors to diagnose the condition.
11Brenda Rapp is a scientist at Johns Hopkins University.
12Rapp described signs of the disease this way: "Maybe you're doing things that are bothering people and you don't really understand why they're bothering people."
13The disease is linked to primary progressive aphasia, which is a condition affecting a person's ability to communicate.
14A person with this sort of FTD may have trouble finding words or understanding speech.
15Damage to neurons, the brain's information carriers, is believed to be part of the problem but the root reasons for a case are often unclear.
16People with a family history of the condition are more likely to develop it.
17But most people with FTD have no family history of dementia.
18There is no cure for FTD, but there are different ways to try to deal with it.
19People might get speech therapy if they have the kind that affects language.
20They might get physical therapy to improve movement.
21Some patients receive antidepressants or drugs for Parkinson's, a nervous system disease, which has some of the same symptoms as FTD.
22FTD can be a long illness, lasting two to 10 years.
23People with FTD will need caregiving or nursing support as their symptoms get worse.
24"The disease will spread throughout the brain," Rapp said.
25"The rate at which it does that is extremely unpredictable. So, it's very hard to know...how quickly someone will deteriorate."
26The financial costs for a family can be high.
27The Alzheimer's Association estimates that it costs $10,000 a year, on average, in the United States for health and long-term care for a person with dementia.
28I'm Jill Robbins.
1A brain wasting disease called frontotemporal dementia has gained attention after television and film personalities said they suffered from it. 2In a statement, caregivers said doctors told talk show host Wendy Williams that she had the unusual form of dementia. It said Williams had undergone many medical tests to identify the condition. Actor Bruce Willis is also reportedly affected by the condition. 3What is frontotemporal dementia? 4Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is a rare disease that affects parts of the brain controlling behavior and language. These parts of the brain shrink as the disease gets worse. 5FTD usually can affect people in their 40s through their early 60s. It can change a person's personality, causing a loss of control or wild behavior. It is sometimes mistaken for mental health disorders like depression or bipolar disorder. It can take years for doctors to diagnose the condition. 6Brenda Rapp is a scientist at Johns Hopkins University. Rapp described signs of the disease this way: "Maybe you're doing things that are bothering people and you don't really understand why they're bothering people." 7The disease is linked to primary progressive aphasia, which is a condition affecting a person's ability to communicate. A person with this sort of FTD may have trouble finding words or understanding speech. 8What causes FTD? 9Damage to neurons, the brain's information carriers, is believed to be part of the problem but the root reasons for a case are often unclear. People with a family history of the condition are more likely to develop it. But most people with FTD have no family history of dementia. 10Can FTD be treated? 11There is no cure for FTD, but there are different ways to try to deal with it. People might get speech therapy if they have the kind that affects language. They might get physical therapy to improve movement. 12Some patients receive antidepressants or drugs for Parkinson's, a nervous system disease, which has some of the same symptoms as FTD. 13How fast does FTD progress? 14FTD can be a long illness, lasting two to 10 years. People with FTD will need caregiving or nursing support as their symptoms get worse. 15"The disease will spread throughout the brain," Rapp said. "The rate at which it does that is extremely unpredictable. So, it's very hard to know...how quickly someone will deteriorate." 16The financial costs for a family can be high. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that it costs $10,000 a year, on average, in the United States for health and long-term care for a person with dementia. 17I'm Jill Robbins. 18Carla K. Johnson reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. 19____________________________________ 20Words in This Story 21host - n. a person who talks to guests on a television or radio show 22personality - n. the set of emotional qualities or ways of behaving that makes a person different from other people 23therapy - n. the treatment of physical or mental illnesses 24symptom - n. a change in the body or mind which shows that a disease is present 25deteriorate - v. to become worse as time passes