THE KETOGENIC DIET: CLINICAL EFFICACY IN DIFFERENT SEIZURE TYPES AND EPILEPSY SYNDROMES

During this presentation I will review the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in different seizure types and epilepsy syndromes. I will review the various levels of evidence used to make these decisions, including expert opinion and evidence-based medicine. I will discuss the results of the recent pediatric expert consensus survey conducted in both the United States and Europe, and the review of the ketogenic diet by the United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Specific patient examples will be used to focus the presentation. This data will be used to suggest the proper sequencing of the ketogenic diet when treating a child with different types of seizures or epilepsy syndromes. Finally, I will conclude with what other research data needs to be obtained in order for the ketogenic diet to be used earlier in the treatment of specific seizure types or epilepsy syndromes.