The ketogenic diet for the treatment of epilepsy

The ketogenic diet is one of the oldest therapies for epilepsy. Now, as in the 1920's 15-30% of children with medicationrefractory seizures will have their seizures controlled with this carefully calculated, high fat-low protein-virtually no CHO diet. An additional 30-40% of children will have a greater than 50% reduction of seizures. For approximately 30% the diet is not sufficiently effective to continue. While eclipsed by anticonvulsants for several decades, the diet's recent resurgence for medication-refractory seizures in children has reawakened interest in its possible mechanisms of action. Recent studies of efficacy and directions for future research will be discussed.