[Influence of ketogenic diet on the clinical effects and electroencephalogram features in 31 children with pharmacoresistant epileptic encephalopathy].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of ketogenic diet (KD) on the clinical and electroencephalogram features in children with pharmacoresistant epileptic encephalopathy.


METHODS
Thirty-one children (19 boys, 12 girls) aged 7 months to 7 years (mean 2 years 5 month) with epilepsy refractory to conventional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were included in this study. In addition to their original AED treatment, the children were assigned to different ketogenic diets based on their age. The prospective electro-clinical assessment was performed prior to the KD and then one week, one month and again 3 months after the initiation of therapy, respectively.


RESULTS
The reduction of seizure frequency in 52%, 68% and 71% of all patients exceeded 50% one week, one month and three months after KD treatment respectively. KD is particularly effective in myoclonic astatic epilepsy (MAE; Doose Syndrome) and West syndrome with 100% and 81.25% of the patients having a greater than 50% seizure reduction, respectively. After 3 months of KD treatment, more than 2/3 patients experienced a reduction in interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) and improvement in EEG background.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical and electroencephalographic improvement confirms that KD is beneficial in children with refractory epilepsy.
Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Bao-Min
BM
Li
Li-Li
LL
Tong
Gui-Juan
GJ
Jia
Ji-Wen
JW
Wang
Ge-Fei
GF
Lei
Ping
P
Yin
Ruo-Peng
RP
Sun
D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055423:Diet, Ketogenic / Q000379:methods*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy; D065768:Lennox Gastaut Syndrome; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy; D013577:Syndrome; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D004041:Dietary Fats