,,iii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #cig  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #ag 7legislative day1 ,september #af71 
#bjbe,mr4 ,banks 7for himself and ,mr4  
,merkley7 submitted the following       
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,,resolution     
,expressing support for the designation 
of ,september as ,dystonia ,awareness   
,month to promote public awareness and  
understanding of dystonia4  ,whereas    
dystonia is a neurological movement     
disorder that causes excessive1         
involuntary muscle contractions1        
resulting in abnormal muscle movements  
and body postures2 ,whereas dystonia    
affects an estimated #bej1jjj to        
#cjj1jjj individuals in the ,united     
,states1 though the true number may be  
higher due to underdiagnosis and        
misdiagnosis2 ,whereas dystonia can     
affect people of all ages1 genders1 and 
backgrounds1 and may appear as a        

standalone condition or as a symptom of 
other neurological disorders2 ,whereas  
there are multiple forms of dystonia1   
including focal1 segmental1 and         
generalized dystonias1 that may impact a
 person's ability to walk1 speak1 see1  
or perform daily tasks2 ,whereas        
dystonia can cause significant physical 
disability1 social isolation1 emotional 
distress1 and financial hardship for    
individuals and families2 ,whereas1     
although there is no cure for dystonia1 
treatments such as botulinum toxin      
injections1 oral medications1 deep brain
 stimulation1 and supportive therapies  
can help manage symptoms and improve    
quality of life2 ,whereas greater       
awareness and understanding of dystonia 
will lead to earlier diagnosis1 expanded
 research1 improved treatments1 and     
better support for individuals and      
families living with this condition2    
,whereas medical researchers and        
clinicians are working diligently to    
increase awareness and advance knowledge

 of dystonia through outreach1          
education1 and scientific study2        
,whereas servicemembers and veterans may
 experience dystonia as a result of     
traumatic brain injury1 exposure to     
certain medications1 or other           
service-related conditions1 underscoring
 the importance of research1 treatment  
access1 and care within the health      
systems of the ,department of ,defense  
and ,department of ,veterans ,affairs2  
and ,whereas the ,peer ,reviewed        
,medical ,research ,program of the      
,department of ,defense has awarded     
competitive research grants supporting  
studies on dystonia1 reflecting the     
recognition of its impact on the health 
of servicemembers1 veterans1 and the    
general population3 ,now1 therefore1 be 
it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 expresses   
support for the designation of          
,september as ,dystonia ,awareness      
,month2  7#b7 recognizes the need for   
further research to discover new        
treatments and a cure for dystonia2     

7#c7 commends the efforts of medical    
professionals and researchers who work  
to improve the lives of individuals with
 dystonia2 and  7#d7 encourages the     
people of the ,united ,states to observe
 ,dystonia ,awareness ,month with       
appropriate programs and activities to  
raise public awareness and understanding
 of dystonia4