title: Branched chain amino acids as adjunctive therapy to ketogenic diet in epilepsy: pilot study and hypothesis.
abstract: A pilot prospective follow-up study of the role of the branched chain amino acids as additional therapy to the ketogenic diet was carried out in 17 children, aged between 2 and 7 years, with refractory epilepsy. All of these patients were on the ketogenic diet; none of them was seizure free, while only 13 had more or less benefited from the diet. The addition of branched chain amino acids induced a 100% seizure reduction in 3 patients, while a 50% to 90% reduction was noticed in 5. Moreover, in all of the patients, no reduction in ketosis was recorded despite the change in the fat-to-protein ratio from 4:1 to 2.5:1. Although our data are preliminary, we suggest that branched chain amino acids may increase the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet and the diet could be more easily tolerated by the patients because of the change in the ratio of fat to protein.
authors.affiliation: 4th Paediatric Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. aeevange@auth.gr
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Evangeliou
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spilioti
authors.forename: Vai
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Doulioglou
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kalaidopoulou
authors.forename: Anestis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ilias
authors.forename: Astrinia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skarpalezou
authors.forename: Irini
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Katsanika
authors.forename: Serafia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalamitsou
authors.forename: Konstantina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vasilaki
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chatziioanidis
authors.forename: Kiriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Garganis
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pavlou
authors.forename: Sotirios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varlamis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikolaidis
mesh_terms: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055423:Diet, Ketogenic; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000652:urine; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007662:Ketosis / Q000652:urine; D008954:Models, Biological; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000652:urine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D000927:Anticonvulsants