They identify the first biomarker that can diagnose Bruce Willis’ dementia.

A team of researchers has identified the first biomarker that can identify the underlying neuropathology in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and differentiate two proteins that accumulate in the brain in this disorder. Actor Bruce Willis suffers from FTD, a disorder characterized by progressive personality changes that stand out among possible cognitive changes, explaining why most patients retain their mental faculties and are completely independent in their daily lives. The person isolates themselves socially and appears cold and distant towards their loved ones. It is often confused with major depression.

A study conducted by the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and involving the Dementia Neurobiology Group and the Memory Department of the Sant Pau Research Institute (Barcelona) opens up new possibilities for differential diagnosis compared to other neurodegenerative pathologies such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), representing a step forward in the classification of patients. In frontotemporal dementia, these changes are due to the accumulation of two types of proteins: tu and TDP-43.