On Feb. 16, the family of Bruce Willis announced that the celebrated actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, or FTD. It was announced in 2022 that Willis had aphasia, which can be an early sign of FTD. In wake of the new diagnosis, neurologists from University of Michigan Health, Michigan Medicine, are able to speak about FTD, which is most commonly diagnosed in people over the age of 40.
- Sami Barmada, M.D., Ph.D. – Neurologist, Angela Dobson Welch and Lyndon Welch Research Professor of Neurology
- Dr. Barmada’s work centers on the overlap between FTD and a related degenerative condition, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. His work combines basic biology with translational research and technology development to identify new and effective treatments for both ALS and FTD.
- Judith Heidebrink, M.D., M.S. – Neurologist, Clinical Core Co-Lead of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Richard D. and Katherine M. O’Connor Research Professor of Neurology
- Dr. Heidebrink has been involved in collaborative clinical trials in dementia for over 20 years, including phase I-III studies focusing on the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia
- Henry Paulson, M.D., Ph.D. – Neurologist, Director of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Lucile Groff Professor of Neurology
- Dr. Paulson’s research and clinical interests concern the causes and treatment of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, with an emphasis on polyglutamine diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. His lab also helped pioneer the use of gene silencing methods as potential therapy for the many neurological disorders caused by “toxic” mutant genes.
