The film star known for his roles in "Die Hard" and "Pulp Fiction" will step away from his movie career in the wake of a recent aphasia diagnosis. His ex-wife shared the news in a post, saying the disease was impacting his cognitive abilities.
Aphasia affects one million people in the United States, according to Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour.
This is what we know about the condition.
Aphasia is a constellation of symptoms that make it difficult or impossible to comprehend language. The left side of the brain is home to the parts of the brain that are responsible for language functions. Aphasia can affect patients' ability to take part in everyday life.
Neurological changes in the brain are the cause of aphasia. According to Dr. Hussain, the number one cause of brain damage is strokes. Degenerative conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's disease can cause it. Brain injuries include from blows to the head, brain tumors, gunshot wounds and brain infections, according to the National Institute on deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
There are several types of aphasia that have an impact on patients. It is very frustrating for those with expressive aphasia to speak in complete sentences or find the words they are looking for.
Dr. Bonakdarpour said that they may have trouble remembering the words for certain objects.
Other patients have receptive, they may experience confusion when people talk to them, and they may fail to follow conversations.
A person can experience both receptive and expressive aphasia.
Karen Gendal, a speech-language pathologist at N.Y.U., said that global aphasia is a condition in which all four of the main language skills are severely impaired.
Aphasia can develop at any age, even in patients over the age of 65. The condition can come on suddenly, particularly in the wake of a stroke, but some people with aphasia develop it gradually.
Everyone can have periods where they are busy or distracted. If friends and family point out a pattern that you are not aware of, you should seek medical attention. People with aphasia lose their insight into their interactions.
If it is preventing your communication, that is when you should be worried.
Dr. Hussain said there is no guaranteed technique to prevent aphasia, but you can take simple steps to boost your brain health. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are some of the risk factors for stroke. Smoking increases your risk for stroke and aphasia.
Speech and occupational therapy are available for patients with aphasia.
Two primary methods of treatment are recommended by the National Aphasia Association. There are activities like fill-in-the-blank exercises and training patients to remember synonyms and antonyms that are involved in impairment-based therapies. Ms. Gendal said that communication-based therapies focus on rebuilding conversation and cognitive skills that patients use to participate in everyday activities.
There are support groups available in the United States and online to help people deal with the condition.
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