[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 36 (Monday, February 28, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN RECOGNITION OF MULTIFOCAL MOTOR NEUROPATHY (MMN) MONTH 2022

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                          HON. JENNIFER WEXTON

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 28, 2022

  Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, today I recognize the month of February as 
Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) Awareness Month.
  Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) is a rare disorder in which focal 
areas of multiple motor nerves are attacked by one's own immune system. 
Typically, MMN is slowly progressive, resulting in asymmetrical 
weakness of a patient's limbs. Patients frequently develop weakness in 
their hand(s), resulting in dropping of objects or sometimes inability 
to turn a key in a lock. The weakness associated with MMN can be 
recognized as fitting a specific nerve territory. There is essentially 
no numbness, tingling, or pain. Patients with MMN can have other 
symptoms, including twitching, or small random dimpling of the muscle 
under the skin which neurologists call fasciculations.
  The clinical course of MMN is chronically progressive without 
remission. The prevalence of this very rare disease is estimated to be 
0.6 cases in every 100,000 people, which makes it even rarer than GBS, 
a spontaneously self-limiting disorder in which 1-2/100,000 cases occur 
each year in North America and Europe.
  It is now established that intravenous immunoglobin (IVIg), a 
preparation of antibodies obtained from healthy volunteers, can be 
readily given through an arm vein and provides benefit to patients with 
MMN. It is the only treatment for this disorder that is approved by the 
Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and regulatory agencies in Europe and 
Canada. IVIg can lead to improved motor function in most patients with 
MMN, with the response varying from minimal to very large. Early 
treatment shortly after symptom onset is always more effective. The 
treatment usually does not completely reverse all of the symptoms, and 
those patients who do respond will require repeated treatments to 
maintain their improvement.
  Founded over 40 years ago, the GBS|CIDP Foundation International is 
the preeminent global nonprofit organization supporting individuals and 
their families affected by Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), chronic 
inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and related syndromes 
such as multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) through a commitment to 
support, education, research, and advocacy.
  On behalf of my constituent Brenda Perales, an MMN patient, member of 
the Board of Directors of the GBS|CIDP Foundation International, and 
Co-Chair efforts to raise awareness of MMC, I call on my colleagues to 
join me in recognizing the month of February as Multi focal Motor 
Neuropathy (MMN) Awareness Month.

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