Thank you Madam Chair.
I wish to thank all of our guests here today. A special thanks to you, Mr. Walton. I’d like to say that perhaps your skydiving activities have prolonged your life expectancy beyond the norm. I encourage you to keep on fighting.
I am a doctor by trade and so, as you can well imagine, scientific research is of great importance to me. One of the studies on CCSVI subsidized by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada focuses, in particular, on whether chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency is a cause of multiple sclerosis.
The study, conducted by Dr. Brenda Banwell from the Hospital for Sick Children, involves examining children and teenagers with MS to determine whether the venous system is abnormal, as children and youth represent a population where the disease process is at a very early stage and are also unlikely to have age-related changes to their blood vessels.
What are the main conclusions that can be drawn from this study on teenagers and children? What other studies on CCSVI as related to MS are being conducted in Canada and abroad? What results have been attained, if any?