Epilepsy is a disease of the brain which is characterized by recurrent seizures. It is the most prevalent neurological disorder aside from migraines, affecting approximately 50-60 million people worldwide
1. Seizures are diagnosed and classified by strict criteria as defined by International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)
2. While pharmacological treatment is successful for many, approximately 30% of cases fail to respond to two or more anti-epileptic drugs (AED’s)
3,
4. This is termed ‘drug resistant epilepsy’
5. For these individuals, interventions such as surgery and vagal nerve stimulation may be indicated and beneficial, however, both are invasive, carry the risk of complications and are not suitable for everyone.
For those that have drug-resistant epilepsy, the ILAE support the use of the ketogenic diet as an alternative nutritional management option. This is a very high fat, very low carbohydrate, adequate protein regimen compared to a normal diet, designed to mimic the metabolic effects of starvation by inducing a shift from carbohydrate to fat metabolism. The dietary change from the production and utilization of glucose generates ketones (i.e. keto-genic) for use as an alternative source of fuel for the brain and other tissues.
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5. Kwan P, Arzimanoglou A, Berg AT, Brodie MJ, Allen Hauser W, Mathern G, et al. Definition of drug resistant epilepsy: consensus proposal by the ad hoc Task Force of the ILAE Commission on Therapeutic Strategies. Epilepsia. 2010;51(6):1069-77.
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