PRINTER'S NO. 3764
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
967
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY F. KELLER, BAKER, BIZZARRO, BRADFORD, V. BROWN,
CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, D. COSTA, SCHLEGEL CULVER, CUTLER,
DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, DUSH, GILLEN, GINGRICH, HAHN, HEFFLEY,
HENNESSEY, PHILLIPS-HILL, JOZWIAK, KINSEY, LONGIETTI, MAJOR,
MARSICO, McGINNIS, MILLARD, MILNE, MURT, READSHAW, ROSS,
SONNEY, TOOHIL, VEREB, WARD, WATSON AND WHEELAND,
AUGUST 16, 2016
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
AUGUST 16, 2016
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of September 2016 as "Chiari Malformation
Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Chiari malformation, as recognized by the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the
National Institutes of Health, includes a complex group of
disorders characterized by herniation of the cerebellum; and
WHEREAS, The herniated tissue blocks the circulation of
cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, which can lead to the
formation of a cavity within the spinal cord; and
WHEREAS, Symptoms of type I Chiari malformation include
severe headache, dizziness, vertigo, disequilibrium, visual
disturbances, difficulty swallowing, heart palpitations, sleep
apnea, impaired fine motor skills, chronic fatigue and painful
tingling of the hands and feet; and
WHEREAS, Because of the complex symptomology, patients with
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type I Chiari malformation are frequently misdiagnosed; and
WHEREAS, Type II Chiari malformation, also called Arnold-
Chiari malformation, is usually accompanied by a
myelomeningocele, a form of spina bifida that occurs when the
spinal canal and the backbone do not close before birth; and
WHEREAS, Protusion of the spinal meninges and spinal cord
through an opening in the back can result in partial or complete
paralysis below the spinal opening; and
WHEREAS, Type III Chiari malformation, the most serious form,
results in severe and often irreversible neurological defects;
and
WHEREAS, While treatment does not follow a certain and
definitive path, medication may ease certain symptoms such as
pain; and
WHEREAS, Surgery is often the only treatment available to
correct functional disturbances or halt the progression of
damage to the central nervous system; and
WHEREAS, NINDS is conducting research to find alternative
surgical options and identify the cause of the malformations to
create improved treatment and prevention plans; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of September 2016 as "Chiari Malformation Awareness Month"
in Pennsylvania to promote awareness of and advocacy for this
important cause.
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