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IN RECOGNITION OF MULTIFOCAL MOTOR NEUROPATHY (MMN) MONTH 2022
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HON. JENNIFER WEXTON
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Monday, February 28, 2022
Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, today I recognize the month of February as Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) Awareness Month.
Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) is a rare disorder in which focal areas of multiple motor nerves are attacked by one's own immune system. Typically, MMN is slowly progressive, resulting in asymmetrical weakness of a patient's limbs. Patients frequently develop weakness in their hand(s), resulting in dropping of objects or sometimes inability to turn a key in a lock. The weakness associated with MMN can be recognized as fitting a specific nerve territory. There is essentially no numbness, tingling, or pain. Patients with MMN can have other symptoms, including twitching, or small random dimpling of the muscle under the skin which neurologists call fasciculations.
The clinical course of MMN is chronically progressive without remission. The prevalence of this very rare disease is estimated to be 0.6 cases in every 100,000 people, which makes it even rarer than GBS, a spontaneously self-limiting disorder in which 1-2/100,000 cases occur each year in North America and Europe.
It is now established that intravenous immunoglobin (IVIg), a preparation of antibodies obtained from healthy volunteers, can be readily given through an arm vein and provides benefit to patients with MMN. It is the only treatment for this disorder that is approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and regulatory agencies in Europe and Canada. IVIg can lead to improved motor function in most patients with MMN, with the response varying from minimal to very large. Early treatment shortly after symptom onset is always more effective. The treatment usually does not completely reverse all of the symptoms, and those patients who do respond will require repeated treatments to maintain their improvement.
Founded over 40 years ago, the GBS|CIDP Foundation International is the preeminent global nonprofit organization supporting individuals and their families affected by Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and related syndromes such as multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) through a commitment to support, education, research, and advocacy.
On behalf of my constituent Brenda Perales, an MMN patient, member of the Board of Directors of the GBS|CIDP Foundation International, and Co-Chair efforts to raise awareness of MMC, I call on my colleagues to join me in recognizing the month of February as Multi focal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) Awareness Month.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 36
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