Efficacy of dietary treatments for epilepsy

Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics

Volumn 23, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 113-119

  Neal, E G ^a   Cross, J H ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Dietary therapy; Efficacy; Epilepsy; Ketogenic diet

Indexed keywords

DIET THERAPY; EPILEPSY; GLYCEMIC INDEX; HUMAN; KETOGENIC DIET; LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIET; REVIEW; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

DIET, CARBOHYDRATE-RESTRICTED; EPILEPSY; GLYCEMIC INDEX; HUMANS; KETOGENIC DIET; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

EID: 77951153618     PISSN: 09523871     EISSN: 1365277X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-277X.2010.01043.x     Document Type: Review

References (52)

1. Annegers JE, Hauser WA, Elveback LR. Remission of seizures and relapse in patients with epilepsy. Epilepsia 1979, 20:729-739.
2. Bell GS, Sander JW. The epidemiology of epilepsy: the size of the problem. Seizure 2001, 10:306-316.
3. Berman W. Medium chain triglycerides in the treatment of intractable childhood epilepsy. Dev. Med. Child Neurol. 1978, 20:249-250.
4. Bough KJ, Rho JM. Anticonvulsant mechanisms of the ketogenic diet. Epilepsia 2007, 48:43-58.
5. Cockerell OC, Johnson AL, Sander JW. Prognosis of epilepsy: a review and further analysis of the first nine years of the British General Practice study of Epilepsy, a prospective population-based study. Epilepsia 1997, 38:31-46.
6. Coppola G, Veggiotti P, Cusmai R, Bertoli S, Cardinali S, Dionisi-Vici C, Elia M, Sarnelli C, Tagliabue A, Toraldo C, Pascotto A. The ketogenic diet in children, adolescents and young adults with refractory epilepsy: an Italian multi-centre experience. Epilepsy Res. 2002, 48:221-227.
7. DiMario FJ, Holland J. The ketogenic diet: a review of experience at Connecticut children's medical centre. Pediatr. Neurol. 2002, 26:288-292.
8. Freeman JM, Vining EPG, Pillas D, Pyzik PL, Casey JC, Kelly MT. The efficacy of the ketogenic diet-1998: a prospective evaluation of intervention in 150 children. Pediatrics 1998, 102:1358-1363.
9. Geyelin HR. Fasting as a method for treating epilepsy. Med. Rec. 1921, 99:1037-1039.
10. Goodridge DMG, Shorven SD. Epileptic seizures in a population of 6,000. II: treatment and prognosis. Br. Med. J. 1983, 287:645-647.
11. Guelpa G, Marie A. La lutte contre l'epilepsie par la desintoxication et par la reducation alimentaire. Revue de Therapie Medico-Chirurgicale 1911, 78:8-13.
12. Hassan AM, Keene DL, Whiting SE, Jacob PJ, Champagne JR, Humphreys P. Ketogenic diet in the treatment of refractory epilepsy in childhood. Pediatr. Neurol. 1999, 21:548-552.
13. Helmholz HF. The treatment of epilepsy in childhood. Five years experience with the ketogenic diet. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 1927, 88:2028-2032.
14. Henderson CB, Filloux FM, Alder SC, Lyon JL, Caplin DA. Efficacy of the ketogenic diet as a treatment option for epilepsy: meta-analysis. J. Child Neurol. 2006, 21:193-198.
15. Hopkins IJ, Lynch BC. Use of the ketogenic diet in epilepsy in childhood. Aust. J. Paediatr. 1970, 6:25-29.
16. Huttenlocher PR. Ketonaemia and seizures: metabolic and anticonvulsant effects of two ketogenic diets in childhood epilepsy. Pediatr. Res. 1976, 10:536-540.
17. Huttenlocher PR, Wilbourne AJ, Sigmore JM. Medium chain triglycerides as a therapy for intractable childhood epilepsy. Neurology 1971, 1:1097-1103.
18. Janaki S, Rashid MK, Gulati MS. A clinical, electroencehalographic correlation of seizures on the ketogenic diet. Indian J. Med. Res. 1976, 64:1057-1063.
19. Kang HC, Chung DE, Kim DW, Kim HD. Early- and late-onset complications of the ketogenic diet for intractable epilepsy. Epilepsia 2004, 45:1116-1123.
20. Kang HC, Kim YJ, Kim DW, Kim HD. Efficacy and safety of the ketogenic diet for intractable childhood epilepsy: Korean multi-centre experience. Epilepsia 2005, 46:272-279.
21. Kang HC, Lee HS, You SJ, Kang du C, Ko TS, Kim HD. Use of a modified Atkins diet in intractable childhood epilepsy. Epilepsia 2007, 48:182-186.
22. Kankirawatana P, Jirapinyo P, Kankirawatana S, Wongarn R, Thamanasari N. Ketogenic diet: an alternative treatment for refractory epilepsy in children. J. Med. Assoc. Thai. 2001, 84:1027-1032.
23. Keene DL. A systematic review of the use of the ketogenic diet in childhood epilepsy. Paediatr. Neurol. 2006, 35:1-5.
24. Kinsman SL, Vining EPG, Quaskey SA, Mellitis D, Freeman JM. Efficacy of the ketogenic diet for intractable seizure disorders: review of 58 cases. Epilepsia 1992, 33:1132-1136.
25. Kossoff EH, Pyzik PL, McGrogan JR, Vining EP, Freeman JM. Efficacy of the ketogenic diet for infantile spasms. Pediatrics 2002, 109:780-783.
26. Kossoff EH, Krauss GL, McGrogan JR, Freeman JM. Efficacy of the Atkins diet as therapy for intractable epilepsy. Neurology 2003, 61:1789-1791.
27. Kossoff EH, McGrogan JR, Bluml RM, Pillas DJ, Rubenstein JE, Vining EPG. A modified Atkins diet is effective for the treatment of intractable pediatric epilepsy. Epilepsia 2006, 47:421-424.
28. Kossoff EH, Rowley H, Sinha SR, Vining EPG. A prospective study of the modified Atkins diet for intractable epilepsy in adults. Epilepsia 2008, 49:316-319.
29. Lefevre F, Aronson N. Ketogenic diet for the treatment of refractory epilepsy in children: a systematic review of efficacy. Pediatrics 2000, 105. 1-7
30. Lennox WG. Ketogenic diet in the treatment of epilepsy. N. Engl. J. Med. 1928, 199:74-75.
31. Levy R, Cooper P. Ketogenic diet for epilepsy (Cochrane review). The Cochrane Library 2004, In, Issue 3, Chichester, UK, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
32. Liu YM, Williams S, Basualdo-Hamond C, Stephens D, Curtis R. A prospective study: growth and nutritional status of children treated with the ketogenic diet. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 2003, 103:107-112.
33. Mackay MT, Bicknell-Royle J, Nation J, Humphrey M, Harvey AS. The ketogenic diet in refractory childhood epilepsy. J. Paediatr. Child Health 2005, 41:353-357.
34. Mak SC, Chi CS, Wan CJ. Clinical experience of ketogenic diet on children with refractory epilepsy. Acta Paediatr. Taiwan 1999, 40:97-100.
35. Maydell B, Wyllie E, Akhtar N, Kotagal P, Powaski K, Cook K, Weinstock A, Rothner A. Efficacy of the ketogenic diet in focal versus generalised seizures. Pediatr. Neurol. 2001, 25:208-212.
36. McQuarrie I, Keith HM. Epilepsy in children. Relationship of variations in the degree of ketonuria to occurrence of convulsions in epileptic children on ketogenic diets. Am. J. Dis. Childhood 1927, 34:1013-1029.
37. Clinical Guideline 20. 2004, http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG020NICEguideline.pdf, National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), available at:
38. Neal EG, Chaffe HM, Schwartz R, Lawson M, Edwards N, Fitzsimmons G, Whitney A, Cross JH. The ketogenic diet in the treatment of epilepsy in children: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2008a, 7:500-506.
39. Neal EG, Chaffe HM, Edwards N, Lawson M, Schwartz R, Cross JH. Growth of children on classical and MCT ketogenic diets. Pediatrics 2008b, 122:e334-e340.
40. Neal EG, Chaffe HM, Schwartz R, Lawson M, Edwards N, Fitzsimmons G, Whitney A, Cross JH. A randomised trial of classical and medium-chain triglyceride ketogenic diets in the treatment of childhood epilepsy. Epilepsia 2009, 50:1109-1117.
41. Nordli DR, Kuroda MM, Carroll J, Koenigsberger DY, Hirsch LJ, Bruner HJ, Seidel WT, De Vivo DC. Experience with the ketogenic diet in infants. Pediatrics 2001, 108:129-133.
42. Peterson SJ, Tangey CC, Pimentel-Zablah EM, Hjelmgren B, Booth G, Berry-Kravis E. Changes in growth and seizure reduction in children on the ketogenic diet as a treatment for intractable epilepsy. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 2005, 105:725-726.
43. Pfeifer HH, Thiele EA. Low-glycaemic index treatment: a liberalized ketogenic diet for treatment of intractable epilepsy. Neurology 2005, 65:1810-1812.
44. Sander JWAS. Some aspects of prognosis in the epilepsies: a review. Epilepsia 1993, 34:1007-1016.
45. Schwartz RH, Eaton J, Bower BD, Aynsley-Green A. Ketogenic diets in the treatment of epilepsy: short term clinical effects. Dev. Med. Child Neurol. 1989, 31:145-151.
46. Sills MA, Forsythe WI, Haidukewych D, MacDonald A, Robinson M. The medium chain triglyceride diet and intractable epilepsy. Arch. Dis. Child. 1986, 61:1168-1172.
47. Sirven J, Whedon B, Caplan D, Liporace J, Glosser D, O'Dwyer J, Sperling MR. The ketogenic diet for intractable epilepsy in adults: preliminary results. Epilepsia 1999, 40:1721-1726.
48. Trauner DA. Medium chain triglyceride diet in intractable seizure disorders. Neurology 1985, 35:237-238.
49. Vining EPG, Freeman JM, Ballaban-Gil K, Camfield CS, Camfield P, Holmes G, Shinnar S, Shuman R, Tsao CY, Wheless JW. A multi-center study of the efficacy of the ketogenic diet. Arch. Neurol. 1998, 55.
50. Vining EPG, Pyzik P, McGrogan J, Hladky H, Anand A, Kriegler S, Freeman JM. Growth of children on the ketogenic diet. Dev. Med. Child Neurol. 2002, 44:796-802.
51. Wilder RM. The effects of ketonemia on the course of epilepsy. Mayo Clinic Proc. 1921, 2:307-308.
52. Wilkins L. Epilepsy in childhood. III: Results with the ketogenic diet. J. Pediatr. 1937, 10:341-357.