,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #djh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #a1
 #bjad ,ms4 ,stabenow 7for herself1 ,mr4
 ,udall of ,colorado1 ,mr4 ,johanns1 and
 ,mr4 ,isakson7 submitted the following 
resolution2 which was considered and    
agreed to  ,,resolution  ,supporting the
 designation of ,april as ,parkinson's  
,awareness ,month4  ,whereas            
,parkinson's disease is a chronic1      
progressive1 and neurological disease   
and is the second most common           
neurodegenerative disease in the ,united
 ,states2 ,whereas there is inadequate  
data on the incidence and prevalence of 
,parkinson's disease1 but the disease   
affects an estimated #ejj1jjj to        
#a1ejj1jjj individuals in the ,united   
,states and the prevalence of such      
disease is estimated to more than double
 by #bjdj2 ,whereas according to the    
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention1 ,parkinson's disease is the
 #adth leading cause of death in the    

,united ,states and the age-adjusted    
death rate for individuals with         
,parkinson's disease increased #b4i     
percent from #bjaj to #bjaa2 ,whereas   
every day1 ,parkinson's disease greatly 
impacts millions of individuals in the  
,united ,states who are caregivers1     
family members1 and friends of          
individuals with ,parkinson's disease2  
,whereas the economic burden of         
,parkinson's disease is an estimated    
#ad1djj1jjj1jjj each year1 including    
indirect costs to patients and family   
members of #f1cjj1jjj1jjj each year2    
,whereas although research suggests that
 the cause of ,parkinson's disease is a 
combination of genetic and environmental
 factors1 the exact cause and the exact 
progression of the disease remain       
unknown2 ,whereas an objective test or  
biomarker for diagnosing ,parkinson's   
disease does not exist1 and the rate of 
misdiagnosis for the disease is high2   
,whereas the symptoms of ,parkinson's   
disease vary from person to person and  

include tremors1 slowness of movement1  
rigidity1 difficulty with balance1      
swallowing1 chewing1 and speaking1      
cognitive impairment1 dementia1 mood    
disorders 7such as depression and       
anxiety71 constipation1 skin            
complications1 and sleep difficulties2  
,whereas a cure1 therapy1 or drug to    
slow or halt the progression of         
,parkinson's disease does not exist2    
,whereas medications mask some symptoms 
of ,parkinson's disease for a limited   
amount of time each day1 often with     
dose-limiting side effects1 and such    
medications ultimately lose             
effectiveness1 leaving the patient      
unable to move1 speak1 or swallow2 and  
,whereas developing more effective      
treatments for ,parkinson's disease with
 fewer side effects and ultimately      
finding a cure for the disease require  
increased education and research3 ,now1 
therefore1 be it  ,that the ,senate--   
7#a7 supports the designation of ,april 
as ,parkinson's ,awareness ,month2  7#b7

 supports the goals and ideals of       
,parkinson's ,awareness ,month2  7#c7   
continues to support research to develop
 more effective treatments for          
,parkinson's disease and to ultimately  
find a cure for the disease2 and  7#d7  
commends the dedication of ,state1      
local1 regional1 and national           
organizations1 volunteers1 researchers1 
and millions of individuals in the      
,united ,states working to improve the  
quality of life for individuals with    
,parkinson's disease and the families of
 such individuals4