Bruce Willis provides Alzheimer's awareness with his own diagnosis

He's been a major box office draw for decades, a star of action franchises and classic thrillers. Thursday, the family of Bruce Willis announced he's been diagnosed with a form of dementia. And some are applauding the star's decision and his family to go public with this news because it brings awareness to the disease. News Channel 5's Forrest Sanders has more. It's interesting to think how much stuff you might own connected to a star who reached household named status like Bruce Willis on these VHS's for diehard, Armageddon, Unbreakable, The Whole Nine Yards, The Sixth Sense, Sin City, Pulp Fiction. But today, a name that's hung over blockbuster movies has made something public. His family has released statements saying Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

While that is not Alzheimer's, the Alzheimer's Association has a focus on all forms of dementia. We do express our sincere appreciation for the courage in making this diagnosis known. We spoke with Amy French of the Alzheimer's Association. This diagnosis, this is something that is far less common than Alzheimer's itself, correct? That's correct. Everybody's hearing this diagnosis today, but I don't think all of us know what that means. Frontotemporal dementia affects the frontal lobes of the brain, this part of your brain, and the temporal lobes, and those particular sections of the brain manage our ability to speak, use words, and understand words. This is somebody that we've welcomed into our living rooms for decades with all these famous films.

Does that make a big difference? His whole career was based on his ability to speak and use words and communicate, but at the same time, it's also courageous of his family and him to come forward with this diagnosis in doing so, raise such awareness and help educate other people in regard to this disease. I'm Boris Sanders, News Channel 5.

alzheimer's disease, bruce willis, dementia