June 2021: Coritcobasal Degeneration Awareness Month

WHEREAS, Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD/CBGD) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by nerve cell loss and atrophy of multiple areas of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia; and,

 

WHEREAS, Corticobasal Degeneration was first identified in 1967, distinguishing it from Parkinson's disease; and,
 

WHEREAS, initial symptoms, which typically begin at or around age 60, may first appear on one side of the body, but eventually affect both sides as the disease progresses; and,

 

WHEREAS, symptoms include poor coordination, akinesia (an absence of movements), rigidity (a resistance to imposed movement), disequilibrium (impaired balance), and limb dystonia (abnormal muscle postures); and,

 

WHEREAS, other symptoms may include cognitive and visual-spatial impairments, apraxia (loss of the ability to make familiar, purposeful movements), hesitant and halting speech, muscular jerks, and difficulty swallowing; and,

 

WHEREAS, Corticobasal Degeneration usually progresses slowly over the course of six to eight years, and death is generally caused by pneumonia or other complications of severe disability; and,

 

WHEREAS, there is no treatment available to slow the course of Corticobasal Degeneration, and the symptoms of the disease generally resist therapy; and,

 

WHEREAS, raising public awareness of this disease can result in earlier diagnosis, improved medical treatment, increased research, and better access to quality health care; and,

 

WHEREAS, Corticobasal Degeneration Awareness Month recognizes the patients and families affected and brings to light the need for further research and understanding of the disease;  

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim June 2021 as Corticobasal Degeneration Awareness Month in Michigan.