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Measuring and Interpreting Ketosis and Fatty Acid Profiles in Patients on a High-Fat Ketogenic Diet

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Epilepsy and the Ketogenic Diet

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

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Abstract

Despite over 80 yr of clinical experience with high-fat ketogenic diets (KDs) in the treatment of refractory seizures, we do not understand their anticonvulsant mechanism. In addition, it is difficult to monitor the efficacy of the diet and predict seizure outcome. Patients usually follow the diet for up to 3 mo before deciding whether to continue with it (1). Like many aspects of the KD, this 3-mo “trial period” has been set arbitrarily. There are no clear scientific predictors of which patients will and will not eventually respond to the diet. Unfortunately, without reliable markers of seizure outcome, we cannot adequately predict seizure response or which patient will benefit from the diet.

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Authors
  1. Kathy Musa-Veloso
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  2. Stephen C. Cunnane
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Carl E. Stafstrom MD, PhD

  2. The Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Jong M. Rho MD

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© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Musa-Veloso, K., Cunnane, S.C. (2004). Measuring and Interpreting Ketosis and Fatty Acid Profiles in Patients on a High-Fat Ketogenic Diet. In: Stafstrom, C.E., Rho, J.M. (eds) Epilepsy and the Ketogenic Diet. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-808-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-808-3_10

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-477-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-808-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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