Ketogenic diet in patients with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome

AbstractPurposeThe ketogenic diet (KD) has been used as an alternative to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for patients with refractory epilepsy. Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS) belongs to the group of epileptic encephalopathies that often prove refractory to AED treatment.In this prospective study we assess the efficacy and tolerability of the KD in patients with LGS.MethodsBetween March 1, 1990 and April 1, 2013, 61 patients who met diagnostic criteria of LGS were seen at our department. Twenty of them were placed on the KD and followed for a minimum of 16 months.ResultsThe children had previously received a mean of 6.5 different AEDs and were on a mean of 2.5 AEDs when the diet was started. Eighteen months after initiating the diet, fifteen of the initial patients (75%) remained on the diet; three patients (15%) were seizure free, three (15%) had a 75–99% decrease in seizures, two (10%) had a 50–74% decrease in seizures, and the remaining seven children (35%) had a