25 Facts About Sunil Pradhan

Sunil Pradhan was born on 25 June 1957 and is an Indian neurologist, medical researcher and writer, known for the invention of two electrophysiological techniques.

Sunil Pradhan has described five medical signs, of which one related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy is known as Pradhan Sign, and the others associated with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and similar neuro diseases.

Sunil Pradhan was born in the hill station of Najibabad, Bijnaur District, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on 25 June 1957.

Sunil Pradhan did schooling at many local schools in Jhansi, Aligarh, Banda, Allahabad and Lucknow and, choosing medical profession, he graduated in medicine, MB BS, from the King George's Medical University, Lucknow, in 1979 and did his post graduate studies in Internal Medicine there, which he completed in 1983.

Sunil Pradhan did further specialization in neurology and secured the degree of DM.

Sunil Pradhan started his career at Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai and later, shifted to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore.

Sunil Pradhan was instrumental in updating and elaborating the signage, displays and boards and constructing patient shelters.

Sunil Pradhan discovered that the DMD patients tend to suffer visible enlargement of the infraspinatus and deltoid muscles, which when contracted shows partial wastage.

Sunil Pradhan clarified that this revealed a valley between the two mounts, visible behind the outstretched shoulders and called it valley sign.

Poly hill sign: Poly Hill Sign, the second of the signs Sunil Pradhan discovered related to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Sunil Pradhan noticed that the shoulder abduction of a patient with external rotation resulted in the formation of six bulges on the back of the shoulders and arms and named it poly hill due to the bulges.

Sunil Pradhan has reported of an extra hill in one of the cases he attended to.

Sunil Pradhan is credited with two new techniques related to electrophysiology.

Sunil Pradhan asserted, by way of his findings, loss of early components and scattering of late components are responsible for the different F-response parameters in the lower neuron disorders.

Sunil Pradhan's findings led to a new clinical entity called Parainfectious conus myelitis, thus drawing an explanation for the unexplained urinary symptoms in young patients.

Sunil Pradhan is credited with the discovery of the role of immunoglobins in acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a finding confirmed by many other researchers.

Sunil Pradhan's studies revealed that patients are likely to suffer from chronic epileptogenesis with poor seizure outcome if gliosis is present around their lesions.

Sunil Pradhan has explained tickling seizures and micturition induced reflex epilepsy, both reported to be first time findings.

Sunil Pradhan has done research on Hirayama type monomelic amyotrophy, a disease described by Dr Hirayama in 1959.

The Government of India, in 2014, honoured Dr Sunil Pradhan, by awarding him the civilian honour of Padma Shri.

Sunil Pradhan has published several research papers in peer reviewed journals, both national and international in circulation.

On 9 October 2006, Dr Sunil Pradhan received a court summons from the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, on charges of contempt of court for allegedly ignoring a sitting judge of Allahabad High Court, to present himself before the judge the next day.

Dr Sunil Pradhan appeared before the judge at his chamber, along with the Advocate General and the Additional Advocate General of Uttar Pradesh and was asked to tender a written apology, which included an assurance to not to repeat the mistake in future.

Sunil Pradhan duly did so and was released without a sentence.

Dr Sunil Pradhan's statement was recorded and a report was submitted to the Governor.