[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 3] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 3742] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]2010 BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK ______ HON. MARTIN HEINRICH of new mexico in the house of representatives Wednesday, March 17, 2010 Mr. HEINRICH. Madam Speaker, today I rise to commemorate Brain Awareness Week and the benefits of educating students on brain science in Central New Mexico and across the country. Launched in 1996, Brain Awareness Week brings together the Society for Neuroscience, Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, and 2,400 other organizations in 76 countries that share a common interest in improving public awareness of brain and nervous system research. During Brain Awareness Week, which is being held March 15-21, neuroscientists around the globe educate K- 12 students, senior citizens, and the public at large on the wonders of the human brain. These activities include tours of neuroscience laboratories, museum exhibitions, and classroom discussions on the elements of the human brain. This year, the New Mexico area members of the Society for Neuroscience hosted the 2010 Neuroscience Day at the School of Medicine at the University of New Mexico, located in my district. During this day-long event, many of my constituents learned about the wonders of the mind and the nature of scientific discovery. Today, in recognition of Brain Awareness Week, I would like to highlight a serious neurological condition that affects many of our men and women in uniform returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I recognize the great urgency of understanding and treating PTSD, especially for the new generation of U.S. soldiers returning home after prolonged exposure to combat-related stress and trauma in the war zone. One large study conducted by the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit, non- partisan organization focused on improving policy and decision-making through research and analysis, found that almost 20 percent of returning military personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan report symptoms of PTSD or major depression. Our service members aren't the only Americans at risk for this debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 3.5 percent of American adults, or 7.7 million individuals, struggle with PTSD during any given year. Unfortunately, current drug and behavioral treatments for PTSD are often unable to reduce or eliminate symptoms that include intrusive memories, emotional numbness, and insomnia. In recent years, however, neuroscientists have begun to piece together some of the neurobiological puzzles behind this complex disorder, offering new hope to its sufferers. The research dollars allocated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which I supported, are providing scientists with opportunities to discover new medical advances that will detect and treat PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and other illnesses that affect our service members. For example, researchers at the University of New Mexico have found that an innovative brain imaging method, diffusion tensor imaging, can be used to reliably detect and track brain abnormalities in patients with mild TBI. This important application received funding from a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Recently, researchers at the Mind Research Network, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and brain injury, located in Albuquerque, received a $507,000 Recovery Act grant to continue pursuing similar analyses using magnetoencephalography, a sensitive technique for measuring the brain's electrical activity, which is essential for evaluating and treating TBI patients. As a result of the Recovery Act, scientific research is providing new hope to thousands of service members returning home from the war zone who suffer from PTSD, TBI, and other neurological trauma. Madam Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Brain Awareness Week, which exposes our constituents to the wonders of the brain. I also ask that you join me in continuing to support research for new treatments for our brave men and women returning home from combat with PTSD and other brain injuries and disorders. ____________________