Ketogenic Diet in patients with refractory epilepsy

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pediatrics
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Epilepsy impacts 0.5-1% of the population, with 25% of pediatric cases being drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE).
• The Ketogenic Diet (KD) presents a promising non-pharmacological treatment option for pediatric DRE.
• Understanding KD's efficacy and impact on nutritional status is crucial for this patient group.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Ketogenic Diet's effectiveness in controlling seizures in children with DRE.
• To assess the impact of the Ketogenic Diet on the nutritional status of pediatric patients with DRE.
• To document adverse events and their management during KD therapy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records for pediatric patients with DRE treated with KD between 2008 and 2018.
• Data collected included age, diagnosis, seizure frequency, antiepileptic drug usage, clinical outcomes, and complications.
• Nutritional and anthropometric status were evaluated, including weight and height measurements.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 33 cases treated with KD (classical KD, Modified Atkins Diet, LGIT).
• Significant seizure reduction observed: 82% of patients had at least 50% seizure reduction after three months.
• 20% of patients became seizure-free; adverse events (gastrointestinal, dyslipidemia) were manageable and did not affect height.

Conclusions:

• The Ketogenic Diet is an effective treatment for pediatric DRE, offering significant seizure control.
• KD does not negatively impact nutritional status in pediatric patients.
• Adverse events associated with KD are manageable with multidisciplinary team evaluation and adherence to guidelines.