SPEAKER
Clinical features and subtype of stroke
Prof Dr Madakasira Vasantha Padma Srivastava
Dr. Padma has pioneered the work on the "hyperacute thrombolysis program in acute ischemic stroke" in India and authored the first publication from India on the experience. She has helped redefine the relevance of investigations such as PT, aPTT, platelet count prior to thrombolysis. This redefinition has further delayed and increased costs of treatment in developing countries. Due to her work, it is no longer mandatory to perform these tests if patients can be identified with appropriate clinical and radiological criteria. For her contributions to Stroke Care, she has been the National Coordinator for Stroke Registry and the National Coordinator for designing the National guidelines for thrombolysis in stroke. She has also been on the board for the National Commission on Non-communicable Diseases, Diabetes, and Stroke, participating in designing the National Stroke Registry with the Public Health Foundation of India. Her involvement extends to designing programs for primary, secondary, and tertiary care and prevention of stroke in the country. She held the position of the past president of the Indian Stroke Association and launched the Stroke Summer School for young physicians and neurologists aspiring to develop stroke care in their respective regions. As a Nodal officer, she has been instrumental in launching acute stroke care pathways across India in all states at the district level, providing free access to all, regardless of socio-economic and geographic barriers. This initiative utilizes telestroke facilities and empowers physicians at the grassroots level of healthcare delivery.
She has conducted pioneering work in the field of stem cells in Stroke and played a pivotal role in successfully bridging gaps in stroke care delivery systems in India. This was achieved through innovative low-cost measures, including establishing acute stroke pathways across the country, launching Stroke Units, and introducing Stroke Rehabilitation modules. She initiated several national-level programs on implementation research for Stroke Action Plan in India. This includes initiatives like SMART INDIA (App), IMPETUS (educational module), and CARE-DAT (in collaboration with biomedical engineering for assistive devices).
Dr. Padma has also pioneered the inclusion of low-cost non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. She has investigated the effects of Dual-Task Exercise in conjunction with Fluoxetine & Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on postural stability and gait in stroke patients. She has explored the therapeutic potential of yoga in post-stroke recovery and has studied the pathobiology of classical Ayurvedic interventions in post-stroke recovery using Magnetic Resonance and other techniques based on structural, functional, and chemical biomarkers.
Apart from her research contributions, she has been active in bringing science to society and has been recognized with the DST Award for Science Communication. She has been elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. Additionally, she has been honored with the Padma Shri, which is the Government of India’s fourth highest civilian award.
