Diet, ketones, and neurotrauma
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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: January 20, 2023
1Department of Neurosurgery, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095-7039, USA. mprins@mednet.ucla.edu
Abstract:
The annual incidence of traumatic brain injury far exceeds the rates of any other disease in the United States, yet progress toward age-relevant therapies, attention to patients needs, and research funding have all been minimal. Cerebral metabolism of glucose has been shown to be altered after head injury, and increasing cerebral metabolism of alternative substrates (ketones) has been shown to be neuroprotective in several models of traumatic brain injury. This altered dietary approach may have tremendous therapeutic potential for both the pediatric and adult head-injured populations.
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