Efficacy and Safety of Ketogenic Diet as Adjunctive Treatment in Adults With Refractory Epilepsy — KD  

Epilepsy Clinical Trial

Official title: Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Ketogenic Diet as Adjunctive Treatment in Adults With Refractory Epilepsy: a Pilot Study.

Status Active, not recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of the study is to obtain pilot data on safety and efficacy of ketogenic diet (KD) as adjunctive treatment of adults with refractory epilepsy. This will be an open label study comparing seizure frequency during 4 months of prospective baseline observation period with seizure frequency during 4 months of add-on KD treatment. 18-65 year old men and women with refractory epilepsy, defined as seizures persisting in spite of past/present treatments with ≥ 3 AEDs, with seizure frequency of ≥ 0.5/month, will be evaluated. Subjects with both primary generalized and localization-related epilepsy (PGE, LRE) will be recruited. Subjects will have had epilepsy for at least 2 years prior to enrollment. Following initial screening, subjects will be observed for 4 months, with no change in AEDs except when deemed necessary by the patient's neurologist according to standard clinical care. Patients will then start ketogenic diet. Evaluations will include seizure frequency using a seizure diary, adverse events, treatment compliance using urine and plasma ketone levels. Quality of life will be evaluated with a standardized questionnaire of Quality Of Life In patients with Epilepsy, QOLIE-31-P. Level of alertness will be evaluated with Epworth Sleepiness Scale. These questionnaires will be administered at each visit.

Clinical Trial Description

The goal of the present open label study is to obtain pilot data to evaluate the efficacy and safety of KD in adults with intractable epilepsy. Investigators will evaluate the effect of KD on seizure frequency and on adverse events. Investigators will also evaluate serum levels of the ketone body, βhydroxybutyrate (BOH) and of glucose in order to determine whether changes in serum levels of these substances correlate with KD-associated changes in seizure frequency. The data from the present study will be used to design a large randomized study.

Laboratory evaluations will include complete blood count (CBC), serum electrolytes, including calcium, phosphate and magnesium, renal and liver functions, including total protein and albumin, uric acid, fasting serum lipid profile, glucose and b- hydroxybutyrate (BOH) levels, serum carnitine level, serum a.m. trough antiepilepsy drugs levels, and urine calcium and creatinine level. They will be obtained twice at baseline a month apart and monthly during KD treatment.

Primary outcome measures will include average monthly seizure frequency and adverse events. Secondary outcome measures will include treatment compliance, quality of life questionnaire (QOLIE-31-P) scores, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Drug Resistant Epilepsy
• Epilepsy

• NCT number: NCT01906398
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center, LLC
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: January 2013
• Completion date: December 2018