Abstract

D'ASCANIO, Francesca; FERREIRA, Inês  and  JORGE, Rui. KETOGENIC DIET AND EPILEPSY: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2021, n.27, pp.64-67.  Epub Mar 22, 2022. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2021.2711.

Several studies have already explored the role of ketone bodies on the physiological processes involved in the onset of seizures and ketogenic diet is a common treatment option in drug-resistant epilepsy either in children, adolescents or adults. This narrative review aims to summarize the available evidence on the possible mechanisms of action, and on the efficacy of the ketogenic diet and its variants on the treatment of epilepsy from infants to adults. Even though there is a robust biologic plausibility and either mechanistic studies and randomized controlled trials supporting ketogenic diet as a valid approach to reduce seizures in drug-resistant childhood epilepsy, the level of evidence is not as strong for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults.

Keywords : Epilepsy; Ketone bodies; Ketogenic diet; Seizures.

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