BILL ANALYSIS �
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SENATE THIRD READING
SCR 65 (Fuller and Vidak)
As Introduced August 12, 2013
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :37-0
RULES 11-0
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|Ayes:|Gordon, Wilk, Bigelow, |
| |Brown, Donnelly, |
| |Gonzalez, Hagman, |
| |Nazarian, V. Manuel |
| |P�rez, Quirk, Weber |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Memorializes the month of November 2013 as
Adrenoleukodystrophy Awareness Month. Specifically, this
resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1)X-linked adrenoleudodystrophy (X-ALD) is one of a group of
genetic disorders called the leukodystrohpies that cause
damage to the myelin sheath. An insulating membrane that
surrounds the nerve cells in the brain; and, X-ALD affects an
estimated one in 20,000 boys, which is roughly 13,600 people
in the United States, including boys like Jeremy Hill, Jr. of
Bakersfield.
2)Women have two X chromosomes and are the carriers of the
disease, but men are most severely affected because men only
have one X chromosome and lack the protection provided by the
extra X chromosome.
3)Nearly all patients with X-ALD suffer from adrenal
insufficiency, also known as Addison's Disease, the
neurological symptoms can begin in childhood or adulthood.
The childhood cerebral form is the most severe, with onset
between ages four and ten.
4)Common symptoms are behavioral changes, including abnormal
withdrawal or aggression, poor memory, and poor school
performance; and, additional symptoms include visual loss,
learning disabilities, seizures, poorly articulated speech,
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difficulty swallowing, deafness, disturbances in gait and
coordination, fatigue, intermittent vomiting, increased skin
pigmentation, and progressive dementia.
5)Newborn screening is effective in catching and preventing the
negative effects of X-ALD and is relatively inexpensive; and,
treatment with adrenal hormones can be lifesaving, and
symptomatic and supportive treatments for X-ALD include
physical therapy, psychological support, and special
education.
6)Evidence suggests that a mixture of oleic acid and erucic
acid, known as "Lorenzo's Oil," administered to boys with
X-ALD prior to the onset of symptoms can prevent or delay, but
not stop, the appearance of the childhood cerebral form of
X-ALD.
7)The prognosis for patients with childhood cerebral X-ALD is
generally poor due to progressive neurological deterioration,
unless a bone marrow transplantation is performed early; and,
death usually occurs between one and 10 years after the onset
of symptoms.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
Analysis Prepared by : Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800
FN: 0002161