U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8) has reintroduced the the Collaborative Academic Research Efforts (CARE) for Tourette Syndrome Act of 2021 to expand and increase the coordination of Tourette syndrome research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I am proud to reintroduce this important legislation that would greatly benefit those impacted by Tourette Syndrome. Tourette Syndrome impacts approximately 3 million people across the country, and those individuals living with Tourette Syndrome are too often misunderstood and stigmatized,” Sires said in a statement.
“The work done by the NIH is critical for advancing our understanding of Tourette Syndrome. Collaborating this research with centers of excellence will create great strides in research on Tourette Syndrome and will lead to breakthroughs in research that help benefit the lives of all those Americans impacted by this condition.”
Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. The NIH estimates that 200,000 Americans suffer from the most severe form of Tourette syndrome.
The CARE for Tourette Syndrome Act would seek to improve the daily life of those living with Tourette syndrome and their families by expanding and coordinating research efforts on the disorder to advance our understanding of it.
The bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a new system to collect data on Tourette syndrome and award grants to establish new Centers of Excellence focused on Tourette syndrome research.
The centers would conduct research on the cause, early detection, and diagnosis along with prevention, control and treatment of Tourette syndrome.
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) first sponsored the legislation in the upper house back in 2015 and Sires also reintroduced it in Congress back in 2019.
