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A blinded, crossover study of the efficacy of the ketogenic diet
Author(s) -
Freeman John M.,
Vining Eileen P.G.,
Kossoff Eric H.,
Pyzik Paula L.,
Ye Xiaobu,
Goodman Steven N.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01740.x
Subject(s) - ketogenic diet , ketosis , crossover study , saccharin , medicine , lennox–gastaut syndrome , electroencephalography , epilepsy , anesthesia , pediatrics , ictal , randomized controlled trial , endocrinology , psychiatry , placebo , alternative medicine , pathology , diabetes mellitus
Summary Despite over 80 years of use, the ketogenic diet (KD) has never been tested in a blinded manner. Twenty children with intractable Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome (LGS) were fasted 36 h and then randomized to receive the classic KD in conjunction with a solution containing either 60 g/day of glucose or saccharin. Parents and physicians were blinded to both the solution composition and level of ketosis. A crossover to the KD with the alternate solution occurred following the sixth day and a repeat fast. A 24‐h electroencephalography (EEG) was obtained at baseline and after each arm. After administration of the solution, there was moderate evidence of a reduction in parent‐reported seizures between the glucose and saccharin arms, with a median difference of 1.5 seizures per day (p = 0.07). There was no reduction in the number of EEG‐identified events, with a median reduction of 7 events per day (p = 0.33). Ketosis was not completely eliminated in the glucose‐added arm.