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Review
. 2020 Dec;40(6):719-729.
doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1719077. Epub 2020 Nov 5.

Ketogenic Diet Therapies for Seizures and Status Epilepticus

Tanya J W McDonald  1 , Mackenzie C Cervenka  1
Affiliations
Review

Ketogenic Diet Therapies for Seizures and Status Epilepticus

Tanya J W McDonald et al. Semin Neurol. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Ketogenic diet therapies are high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets designed to mimic a fasting state. Although initially developed nearly one century ago for seizure management, most clinical trials for the management of drug-resistant epilepsy in children as well as adults have been conducted over the last 3 decades. Moreover, ketogenic diets offer promising new adjunctive strategies in the critical care setting for the resolution of acute status epilepticus when traditional antiseizure drugs and anesthetic agents fail. Here, we review the history of ketogenic diet development, the clinical evidence supporting its use for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in children and adults, and the early evidence supporting ketogenic diet feasibility, safety, and potential efficacy in the management of status epilepticus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Cervenka reports grants and personal fees from Nutricia North America, grants from Vitaflo, personal fees from Demos Health, grants from William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation, grants from BrightFocus Foundation, and personal fees from Glut1 Deficiency Foundation, outside the submitted work.Dr. McDonald reports personal fees from Nutricia North America, outside the submitted work.

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