Benefits of Ketogenic Diet Beyond Epilepsy Control: Promising Enhancement in Adaptive Behavior

Abstract

Abstract Background The Ketogenic Diet (KD) is gaining attention as a management line in childhood drug resistant epilepsy (DRE). The objective of this study was to highlight KD benefits for Ain Shams University (ASU) Children’s Hospital patients. Methods This cross-sectional study included all patients at the Ketoclinic of ASU Children’s Hospital since its start. Anthropometric measurements and laboratory data were assessed. To evaluate KD efficacy, Chalfont severity score and daily frequency of epileptic attacks were recorded. Vineland test was used to demonstrate the adaptive behavior of a selected group of patients. Results The record of the Ketoclinic included 143 patients. Weight and height/length assessment showed significant increase with significant decrease in the severity of seizures and its frequency after KD. There were no significant changes in the lipid profile of the patients. Vineland test showed significant improvement in the adaptive behavior in 65%. Conclusions The Ketoclinic data proves that KD is a tolerable, safe, and effective line of therapy for DRE in children without significant negative impact on their anthropometric measurements or lipid profile. furthermore, the enhancement in adaptive behavior is a promising finding, thus it is prudent to recommend wider scale studies for longer duration to demonstrate additional cognitive benefits.