110th CONGRESS 2nd Session S. CON. RES. 63 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need for additional research into the chronic neurological condition hydrocephalus, and for other purposes.

Whereas hydrocephalus is a serious neurological condition, characterized by the abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluids in the ventricles of the brain; Whereas there is no known cure for hydrocephalus; Whereas hydrocephalus affects an estimated 1,000,000 Americans; Whereas 1 or 2 in every 1,000 babies are born with hydrocephalus; Whereas over 375,000 older Americans have hydrocephalus, which often goes undetected or is misdiagnosed as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or Parkinson’s disease; Whereas with appropriate diagnosis and treatment, people with hydrocephalus are able to live full and productive lives; Whereas the standard treatment for hydrocephalus was developed in 1952, and carries multiple risks including shunt failure, infection, and overdrainage; Whereas there are fewer than 10 centers in the United States specializing in the treatment of adults with normal pressure hydrocephalus; Whereas each year, the people of the United States spend in excess of $1,000,000,000 to treat hydrocephalus; Whereas a September 2005 conference sponsored by 7 institutes of the National Institutes of Health—Hydrocephalus: Myths, New Facts, Clear Directions—resulted in efforts to initiate new, collaborative research and treatment efforts; and Whereas the Hydrocephalus Association is one of the Nation’s oldest and largest patient and research advocacy and support networks for individuals suffering from hydrocephalus: Now, therefore, be it

That— (1)Congress commends the Director of the National Institutes of Health for working with leading scientists and researchers to organize the first-ever National Institutes of Health conference on hydrocephalus; and (2)it is the sense of Congress that— (A)the Director of the National Institutes of Health should continue the current collaboration with respect to hydrocephalus among the National Eye Institute, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute on Aging, and the Office of Rare Diseases; (B)further research into the epidemiology, pathophysiology, disease burden, and improved treatment of hydrocephalus should be conducted or supported; and (C)public awareness and professional education regarding hydrocephalus should increase through partnerships between the Federal Government and patient advocacy organizations.

Passed the Senate January 22 (legislative day, January 3), 2008. Secretary