Pundik, Svetlana, M.D.

Research Statement

As a Stroke Neurologist I treat patients during the first minutes to hours after stroke onset. With aggressive new therapies, we are able to prevent more severe disabilities. However, many still experience persistent significant deficits. Fortunately, an innovative, intensive research protocol can restore some lost function. My research interests are in identifying and understanding the changes in brain structure and function that are necessary in order to drive motor recovery after stroke. Furthermore, my interests are in developing new approaches to enhance brain plasticity that will improve outcomes of rehabilitative treatments.

Professional Affiliations

• Investigator, Cleveland FES Center
• Physician, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center,
  Cleveland, OH
• Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Publications (Select)

• Fang Y, Daly JJ, Sun J, Hvorat K, Fredrickson E, Pundik S, Sahgal V, Yue GH. Functional corticomuscular connection during reaching is weakened following stroke. Clin Neurophysiol. 2009 May;120(5):994-1002. Epub 2009 Apr 10. PubMed PMID: 19362515; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2680928
• McCabe JP, Dohring ME, Marsolais EB, Rogers J, Burdsall R, Roenigk K, Pundik S, Daly JJ. Feasibility of combining gait robot and multichannel functional electrical stimulation with intramuscular electrodes. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2008;45(7):997-1006. PubMed PMID: 19165689.
• Daly JJ, Hrovat K, Pundik S, Sunshine J, Yue G. fMRI methods for proximal upper limb joint motor testing and identification of undesired mirror movement after stroke. J Neurosci Methods. 2008 Oct 30;175(1):133-42. Epub 2008 Aug 22. PubMed PMID: 18786565.
• Pundik S, McWilliams-Dunnigan L, Blackham KL, Kirchner HL, Sundararajan S, Sunshine JL, Tarr RW, Selman WR, Landis DM, Suarez JI. Older age does not increase risk of hemorrhagic complications after intravenous and/or intra-arterial thrombolysis for acute stroke. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2008 Sep;17(5):266-72. PubMed PMID: 18755405.

Research Programs

• Clinical Trials in Stroke Rehabilitation
• Electrical stimulation for upper limb recovery in hemiplegia
• FES for Footdrop in Hemiparesis
• Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain

 Contact Information