[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 36 (Monday, April 4, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3139-S3140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING XXXXXXX XXXXXX

 Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the courage 
and sacrifice of XXXXXXX X. XXXXXX, X XX-XXXX-XXX XXX XXXX XXXXX XXXX, 
XX. XXXXXXX suffers from pediatric bipolar disorder, a devastating but 
treatable brain disorder marked by severe fluctuations in mood, 
activity, thought, and behavior. In an effort to contribute to the 
search for a cure, XXXXXXX volunteered to participate in a four-month 
long rigorous clinical study at the National Institutes of Mental 
Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
  Though the exact prevalence is not known, the Child & Adolescent 
Bipolar Foundation estimates that at least three quarters of a million 
American children and teenagers currently suffer from bipolar disorder, 
many of whom are undiagnosed. Bipolar disorder is thought to affect 1-2 
percent of adults worldwide. Fifty-nine percent of adults with bipolar 
disorder report that their symptoms first appeared during or before 
adolescence. The disorder is often inherited, and symptoms can emerge 
at any time in life.
  Bipolar disorder has a significant impact on our society. Children 
with the

[[Page S3140]]

condition are at higher risk for school failure, substance abuse, and 
suicide. The terrible human and social costs highlight the importance 
of discovering better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for bipolar 
disorder. Few controlled studies have been done on the use of 
psychiatric medications in children. XXXXXXX, however, is bravely doing 
his part to increase our knowledge of this disease. XXXXXXX volunteered 
to leave home for several months to participate in a study that 
required that he be locked in an 8-bed unit, submit to blood tests, 
brain scans, and other tests, go off all medication, and receive 
lithium or placebo, possibly risking his own well-being in the process. 
He consented to being forced into seclusion or medicated if his rages 
could not be controlled. All the while, XXXXXXX kept up with a home 
school curriculum.
  XXXXXXX'X decision to travel far from home to participate in a 
difficult clinical trial--one that potentially puts himself at risk for 
the benefit of others--will contribute to our understanding of 
pediatric bipolar disorder and how to treat it. His self-sacrifice will 
live on in the form of better treatment options for the many other 
children who, like him, must live with this condition. For that, 
XXXXXXX deserves our most sincere recognition.


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