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Pennsylvania State Senate
04/19/2024 11:15 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20170&cosponId=23706
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: April 21, 2017 12:23 PM
From: Senator Lisa M. Boscola
To: All Senate members
Subject: Resolution - April as Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month 2017
 
In the near future, I intend to re-introduce a resolution recognizing April 2017 as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. I invite you to join me as a co-sponsor.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) affects nearly 1 million people in the United States, with approximately 5-10% of those persons being under 50 years of age. Presently, there is no cure for it and the exact cause still remains unclear.

It is the second most common neurodegenerative condition in the United States, second only to Alzheimer's disease. When approximately 60 to 80% of the brain's dopamine-producing cells are damaged, and do not produce enough dopamine, then the motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease appear.

Problems with movement such as slowness, rigidity, tremor and changes in gait are common symptoms.

Although treatments are initially effective in treating symptoms, 50-90% of patients develop complications. While Parkinson's disease itself is not fatal, such complications from the disease are serious; the Center for Disease Control (CDC) rated complications from PD as the 14th cause of death in the United States.

Parkinson's not only affects the person diagnosed, but also caregivers for Parkinson's disease patients. Caring for someone diagnosed with Parkinson's becomes increasingly complex and demanding as the severity of the disease progresses.

Continued efforts in research, testing and education are necessary in order to keep advancing toward the discovery of more effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for this devastating disease. Researchers are increasingly focused on both detecting PD as early as possible and looking for ways to stop its progression. Therefore, it is important that the Senate proclaim April 2017 as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month. You are invited to please join me in supporting this important effort.


Introduced as SR99