Assessing the Efficacy of Antiepileptic Treatments: The Ketogenic Diet

PURPOSE: To evaluate the evidence for determining if the ketogenic diet is an effective treatment for epilepsy. METHODS: A literature review of published data over the past 80 years concerning the ketogenic diet was performed, focusing on efficacy, tolerability, age of patient population, as well as study design. RESULTS: There have been several studies involving prospective and retrospective studies showing the ketogenic diet to be a very efficacious treatment in epilepsy, particularly epilepsy in childhood. However, no Class 1 studies have been published concerning the efficacy of the ketogenic diet. CONCLUSIONS: The ketogenic diet appears to be a very effective treatment for epilepsy, particularly in childhood. It would be beneficial to have Class 1 studies available to help better define the role of the diet both in children and adults.