PRINTER'S NO. 1934
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 187
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY KINSEY, HILL-EVANS, KHAN, SANCHEZ AND CERRATO,
AUGUST 29, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, AUGUST 29, 2023
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing November 1, 2023, as "Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
2 Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy
4 that accounts for between 2% to 5% of all cases of childhood
5 epilepsy; and
6 WHEREAS, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is characterized by a triad
7 of symptoms that include multiple types of seizures, abnormal
8 brain activity and moderate to severe cognitive impairments; and
9 WHEREAS, Children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome typically
10 begin to show symptoms between the ages of three and five, even
11 following a normal period of development; and
12 WHEREAS, Some of the known causes of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
13 include brain injury associated with pregnancy or birth, severe
14 brain infections, developmental malformations of the brain and
15 metabolic conditions; and
16 WHEREAS, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome may be preceded by a rare
17 form of epilepsy known as infantile spasms, an illness that can
18 detrimentally affect the life of a child; and
 1 WHEREAS, About 25% of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome cases have no
2 identified cause; and
3 WHEREAS, Nearly all children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
4 develop learning problems and intellectual disabilities
5 associated with their frequent seizures; and
6 WHEREAS, Because the seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut
7 syndrome are often resistant to typical treatments, the
8 resulting intellectual impairments tend to worsen over time; and
9 WHEREAS, While a person with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome can live
10 a normal life, more than half of the children with Lennox-
11 Gastaut syndrome suffer from associated disorders, such as
12 communication and behavioral issues, trouble with balance and
13 sleeping, increased instances of rage and aggression and other
14 issues; and
15 WHEREAS, Complete recovery is extremely unusual for a child
16 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and most affected individuals will
17 need constant support throughout their life; and
18 WHEREAS, Since there is no cure for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome,
19 the goal of treatment is to reduce the number of seizures a
20 person experiences and improve their quality of life with this
21 disease; and
22 WHEREAS, The three main treatment options for Lennox-Gastaut
23 syndrome are antiseizure medications, dietary therapy and other
24 treatments such as vagus nerve stimulation therapy and surgery;
25 and
26 WHEREAS, Further research is needed to identify more
27 effective therapies; and
28 WHEREAS, There is still a tremendous amount of work to be
29 done to understand Lennox-Gastaut syndrome further; and
30 WHEREAS, November 1 is celebrated worldwide as "International
20230HR0187PN1934 - 2 -
1 Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Awareness Day," to bring awareness to
2 this rare condition, acknowledge the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
3 community and promote research efforts to better understand
4 Lennox-Gastaut syndrome; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize
6 November 1, 2023, as "Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Awareness Day" in
7 Pennsylvania.
20230HR0187PN1934 - 3 -