Seth Rogen speaks on Capitol Hill about Alzheimer's

NEW YORK, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Actor, writer and director Seth Rogen says he "jumped" at the chance to speak on Capitol Hill about the impact Alzheimer's disease has had on his family.

Rogen, 31, talked about the need to increase funding for research into the prevention and treatment of the degenerative brain disease.

"They invited me to talk about Alzheimer's and how it affected my life and my family's life, and it was a very unique opportunity so I jumped at it," Rogen told ABC News after delivering his speech in Washington Wednesday. "I think one of the most distressing things I heard was talking to Dr. Hodes, who's a major Alzheimer's doctor, and he was saying that a lot of people who would normally be pursuing curing Alzheimer's as a disease are not seeing that the money is there, and they're choosing other diseases to pursue."

Rogen told ABC he decided to support this cause because his wife's mother has had early onset Alzheimer's since she was in her early 50s.

"Now she's in her early 60s and it's very advanced. And it was so brutal, honestly, that it just made us decide to try to do something," Rogen said. "It's a disease that has no cure or prevention that will probably affect you and your family one day, and it needs more attention."