Is Diet a Viable Adjunctive Treatment for Adults with Epilepsy?

The ketogenic and modified Atkins diets may have sustained efficacy in some adults with medically refractory epilepsy, but long-term adherence is often challenging.

Most studies of efficacy and tolerability of diet modification as an alternative treatment for epilepsy are in children. The ketogenic diet (KD) has demonstrated effectiveness, in some instances dramatically so, in young children with catastrophic epilepsies. In adults, much less is known about the effectiveness of such diets, despite increasing interest.

Researchers conducted this review to cull as much data as possible from published studies of both KD and the modified Atkins diet (MAD) as adjunctive treatment for adults with medically intractable epilepsy. A meta-analysis was not possible because no common statistical measures could be shared between the available studies. Data regarding status epilepticus were insufficient to evaluate.

Ef…

Reviewing Author

Robert C. Knowlton, MD, MSPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMore Health, Inc.; The Alliance of Medical Companies

Grant/Research SupportNIH Small Business Innovation Research

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSouthern Epilepsy & EEG Society (Treasurer)

Robert C. Knowlton, MD, MSPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMore Health, Inc.; The Alliance of Medical Companies

Grant/Research SupportNIH Small Business Innovation Research

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSouthern Epilepsy & EEG Society (Treasurer)

Is Diet a Viable Adjunctive Treatment for Adults with Epilepsy?

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Reviewing Author