Late effect of classic ketogenic and the modified ATKINS diets on the nutritional status of children with refractory epilepsy

• Grant number: 16/18596-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2017
• End date: March 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Carla Barbosa Nonino
• Grantee: Luciana Moita Fernandes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Epilepsy is characterized as a moderately common neurological disorder in children, affecting approximately 65 million individuals worldwide. The treatment of epilepsy at first is invariably drug, with a wide range of available antiepileptic drugs. In patients who do not obtain satisfactory seizure control, nonpharmacological therapies such as dietary changes and surgery may be recommended. The ketogenic diet is based on the intake of diet consisting essentially of fats, in order to reproduce the organism physiological responses that are observed in starvation, being possible to achieve the same physiological state by the modified Atkins diet. Dietary efficacy in seizure control is proven and often based on reducing the number of them, with variation according to the study analyzed. Purpose: Assess nutritional status, biochemical profile, food intake, number of crises and their remission in children with refractory epilepsy before and two years after accomplishment of the treatment by classic ketogenic and modified Atkins diets. Method: Retrospective study in which the medical records of pediatric patients who underwent care at Ambulatório de Epilepsia de Difícil Controle Infantil do Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto - USP will be analyzed. Will be evaluated data covering sex, current age, age of onset epilepsy, seizure frequency and type of epilepsy, in addition to the assessment of nutritional status, biochemical profile and food intake before and late after treatment with classic ketogenic and modified Atkins diets. (AU)