110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 163 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Whereas Dandy-Walker syndrome is the most common con-
genital malformation of the cerebellum and its causes are 
largely unknown; 
Whereas between 10,000 and 40,000 people have Dandy- 
Walker syndrome in the United States; 
Whereas the incidence of Dandy-Walker syndrome is at least 
1 case per every 25,000 to 35,000 live births,
•HCON 163 EH 
however this is likely a significant underestimate because 
of difficulties diagnosing the syndrome; 
Whereas the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Pro-
gram, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re-
ports that Dandy-Walker syndrome may affect as many 
as 1 in 5000 live born infants; 
Whereas approximately 70 to 90 percent of patients with 
Dandy-Walker syndrome have hydrocephalus; 
Whereas Dandy-Walker syndrome accounts for approximately 
1 to 4 percent of hydrocephalus cases; 
Whereas patients with Dandy-Walker syndrome present with 
developmental delay, enlarged head circumference, or 
signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus; 
Whereas Dandy-Walker syndrome affects males and females 
approximately equally; 
Whereas seizures occur in 15 to 30 percent of patients with 
Dandy-Walker syndrome; 
Whereas subnormal intelligence is manifested in 41 to 71 
percent of patients with Dandy-Walker syndrome; 
Whereas failure to diagnose Dandy-Walker syndrome with 
hydrocephalus in a Neonate or a child can cause serious 
neurologic complications; 
Whereas Dandy-Walker syndrome is named after former Uni-
versity of New Mexico neurosurgeon and professor Ar-
thur E. Walker (1907–1995) and Walter E. Dandy 
(1883–1941), who first described the disorder in 1914; 
and 
Whereas there are 2 known researchers dedicated to Dandy- 
Walker Syndrome in the United States and additional in-
vestigators are needed: Now, therefore, be it
•HCON 163 EH 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That— 
(1) Congress commends the Director of the Na-
tional Institutes of Health for working with leading 
scientists and researchers to organize the first Na-
tional Institutes of Health conference on hydro-
cephalus in September 2005 and the Inaugural 
‘‘Cerebellar Development: Bench to Bedside Inter-
national Conference’’ in November 2006; and 
(2) it is the sense of Congress that— 
(A) the Director of the National Institutes 
of Health should continue the current collabora-
tion, with respect to Dandy-Walker syndrome, 
among the National Human Genome Research 
Institute, the National Institute of Biomedical 
Imaging and Bioengineering, the National In-
stitute of Child Health and Human Develop-
ment, the National Institute of Neurological 
Disorders and Stroke, and the Office of Rare 
Diseases; 
(B) further research into the epidemiology, 
diagnosis, pathophysiology, disease burden, and 
improved treatment of Dandy-Walker syndrome 
and hydrocephalus should be conducted and 
supported; and
•HCON 163 EH 
(C) public awareness and professional edu-
cation regarding Dandy-Walker research should 
increase through partnerships between the Fed-
eral Government and patient advocacy organi-
zations, such as the Dandy-Walker Alliance and 
the Hydrocephalus Association. 
Passed the House of Representatives June 26, 2008. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 163 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress in support of fur-
ther research and activities to increase public 
awareness, professional education, diagnosis, and 
treatment of Dandy-Walker syndrome and hydro-
cephalus.