Evaluation of ketogenic diet efficacy in patients with refractory epilepsy

THESES

Evaluation of ketogenic diet efficacy in patients with refractory epilepsy (Abstract)^*. Dissertation São Paulo, 2004

Alessandra Freitas de Souza

^{Correspondence}

Ketogenic diet (KD) is a high fat, low carbohydrate and adequate-protein intake diet, developed in the 1920's as an attempt to control refractory epilepsy. Its mechanism of action is poorly known, but its efficacy is well defined.

This study analyzed the KD effects on a group of 54 children and adolescents with refractory epilepsy who were consecutively enrolled in the KD program of the Children's Institute of the University of São Paulo.

Efficacy (seizure control and anti-epileptic drug, AED, dose reduction), tolerability and adverse-effects were studied in the 2nd, 6th, 12th and 24th month on diet. Response to KD was considered effective (E) if seizure control was > 75%, good (G) when 50-75% and ineffective (I) when <50% and, when possible, was correlated with the epileptic syndrome and the patient age.

By the second month on diet, 57.4% of the patients had E response and 31.4% G. At the 6th-month, 63.8% of the patients had E response and 25.5% G. At the 12th-month, 71.8% had E response and 2.6% G results. At the 24th-month, 62.1% had E and 37.9% G results. There was significant reduction of AED; the best response was achieved in patients with generalized epilepsy and age-related differences were not observed. Four patients experienced adverse effects that led to interrupt the diet.

CONCLUSION: KD proved to be an effective clinical treatment for children with difficult-to-control seizures, often-allowing reduction or discontinuation of medication. Moreover, it is well tolerated and rarely presents adverse effects.

Key words: children, refractory epilepsy, ketogenic diet.

*

"Avaliação da eficácia da dieta cetogênica em pacientes com epilepsia de difícil controle (Resumo). Dissertação de Mestrado, Universidade de São Paulo, USP(Área: Pediatria). Orientadora: Maria Joaquina Marques-Dias.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  13 Apr 2005
• Date of issue
  Mar 2005