title: Childhood absence epilepsy successfully treated with the paleolithic ketogenic diet.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood absence epilepsy is an epilepsy syndrome responding relatively well to the ketogenic diet with one-third of patients becoming seizure-free. Less restrictive variants of the classical ketogenic diet, however, have been shown to confer similar benefits. Beneficial effects of high fat, low-carbohydrate diets are often explained in evolutionary terms. However, the paleolithic diet itself which advocates a return to the human evolutionary diet has not yet been studied in epilepsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we present a case of a 7-year-old child with absence epilepsy successfully treated with the paleolithic ketogenic diet alone. In addition to seizure freedom achieved within 6 weeks, developmental and behavioral improvements were noted. The child remained seizure-free when subsequently shifted toward a paleolithic diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that the paleolithic ketogenic diet was effective, safe and feasible in the treatment of this case of childhood absence epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Neuroscience, Amerikai út 57, Budapest, 1145 Hungary ; Department of Neurology, University of Pécs, Rét u. 2, 7623 Pecs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsófia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Neuroscience, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kelemen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Bethesda Children's Hospital, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fogarasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tóth
keywords: Childhood absence epilepsy; Evolutionary medicine; Ketogenic diet; Neurology; Paleolithic diet