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Sorry< I forgot who it was that wanted material for an interview tomorrow= .=0AHowever, I found the following and thought it might be helpful. Regards, WHH PS: I think it works as a source fo my letter to the editor, also. ENJOY Full Funding for Parkinson's Research Why We're Here Parkinson's advocates have come to Washington from around the country to= =0Aparticipate in the fifth annual Parkinson's Action Network's Public Po= licy=0AForum, "Visibility into Action", a four-day education and training= conference.=0AParticipants will be briefed on the state of science of Pa= rkinson's disease=0Aand the role of government in the search for effectiv= e treatments and a cure.=0AThe focus of this year's advocacy efforts is t= o secure full funding of $100=0Amillion for the Morris K. Udall Parkinson= 's Disease Research Act of 1997,=0A(P.L. 105-78). Other issues of concer= n include FDA approval and Medicare=0Acoverage of innovative therapies an= d devices, and genetic discrimination in=0Ahealth insurance. Parkinson's Disease (PD) The symptoms of Parkinson's disease, or Parkinsonism (PD), result from th= e=0Adegeneration of nerve cells in the mid-brain, and the corresponding l= oss of=0Athe neuro transmitting chemical dopamine produced by those cells= . Parkinson's=0Adestroys physical movement, coordination and speech, and= ultimately leaves its=0Avictims incapable of caring for themselves. Who Gets Parkinson's? Parkinson's does not discriminate - it afflicts people regardless of gend= er,=0Arace, background, behavior, lifestyle or geographic area lived in. = Despite=0Athe common perception that Parkinson 5 is an "old person's" di= sease, the=0Aaverage age of diagnosis is 57 years. Many are diagnosed in= their 30's and=0Aeven 20's. However, due to the debilitating nature of = the disease, the=0AParkinson's community has been largely invisible to th= e public and the=0Agovernment. =B7=09There are one million Americans living with Parkinson's and its rel= ated=0Adisorders. =B7=0960,000 new cases are diagnosed each year -- one every nine minutes. The Cost of Parkinson's Disease is Enormous The annual costs (health care, disability, loss of productivity, long-ter= m=0Acare, etc.) associated with Parkinson's total $25 billion -- a cost t= hat will=0Aonly increase as the Baby Boom generation ages. Parkinson's a= lso robs people=0Aof their lives and their ability to contribute fully to= their family,=0Acommunity and country. The cost of medications and curr= ently available=0Asurgical therapies is also very expensive. The State of Science There is tremendous research potential in several areas, including neuro= =0Aprotective agents, improved stimulation devices, cell replacement, and= =0Abioengineering of cells -- see "Routes to the Cure" fact sheet. Howev= er, this=0Apotential can only be translated into improved therapies, trea= tments and=0Apotential cures if there is adequate federal support for Par= kinson's research.