Ketogenic Diet in Established Epilepsy Indications

Abstract

AbstractThe ketogenic diet (KD) provides an alternative strategy for seizure control in medication-resistant epilepsy. It is particularly valuable for those medication-resistant patients who are not surgical candidates. Years of observational evidence have been recently supported by a randomized controlled study indicating the benefit of diet treatment in children with refractory epilepsy, compared with a control group who delayed diet treatment for 3 months. Well-established uses include children with refractory, nonsurgical epilepsies, as well as epileptic encephalopathies, including infantile spasms and West syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Dravet and Doose syndromes. The efficacy and role of diet therapy in these conditions are discussed.