Actor Bruce Willis diagnosed with aphasia, family says
Laura Stein, MD, MPH, discusses aphasia in the wake of the recent diagnosis of actor Bruce Willis. She said, “Language encompasses what we express or say, what we understand, our ability to name objects, our ability to read, our ability to write, and everything in between. The causes of aphasia can be quite varied, and I would think of aphasia as a symptom or a sign that a doctor notices. The really important thing to figure out is what is causing that sign or symptom in an individual. It can be anything from a stroke, an infection, tumor, or a process of degeneration.”