Disease of the brain

Hackman, Willis: What patients with dementia can expect

The forms of dementia occur due to different causes and with different symptoms at the beginning.(Bild: Osterland - stock.adobe.com)

Gene Hackman suffered from Alzheimer's - when his wife died of hantavirus, the former Hollywood star apparently lived next to her for another week, but was no longer able to look after himself and eventually died too. What lies behind this disease, which can occur in various forms, and what it means for those affected and their relatives.

Dementia is a generic term for pathological changes in the brain that are accompanied by a progressive loss of mental functions. Like Gene Hackman - who suffered from the most common form, Alzheimer's - around 50 million people worldwide are affected. Ex-action star Bruce Willis also suffers from dementia, albeit a rare form, aphasia. The respective forms of the disease occur due to different causes and at the beginning with different symptoms. We explain.