Efficacy of Low Glycemic Index Diet Versus Classic Ketogenic Diet in Pediatric Epilepsy Treatment

Brief summary (registry, in English)

Epilepsy is a common disease among children. Today, treating epilepsy remains a major challenge, with many children affected by this condition. According to reports, 30% of children with epilepsy do not respond well to treatment. Various methods are available for managing epilepsy, one of the most accepted therapies for this condition are dietary therapies. Numerous studies have shown that dietary therapy is an effective and can have reasonable response in treating seizure. The most commonly used dietary intervention is the Classic Ketogenic Diet (CKD). In the CKD, approximately 90% of calories come from fat, making it a highly restrictive regimen that causes significant challenges for children to follow. Many studies have reported low adherence rates due to its difficulty, with a substantial number of patients discontinuing the diet over time. Some studies have explored the use of the Low Glycemic Index Therapy(LGIT), another form of the ketogenic diet, in managing drug-resistant epilepsy can be successful. In the LGIT, 60% of energy is derived from fat, 30% from protein, and 10% from carbohydrates. Due to the reduced fat content and greater dietary flexibility, this diet has fewer side effects and is easier to follow. Studies have also shown higher adherence rates to LGIT compared to CKD. Although limited research is available on LGIT, existing studies suggest that it may be as effective as CKD in treating epilepsy. Given the widespread prevalence and severe complications associated with untreated epilepsy in children, Further research into dietary therapies is crucial, as untreated epilepsy can lead to irreversible damage in children. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the Low Glycemic Index therapy and the Classic Ketogenic Diet in epilepsy treatment. If LGIT proves to be as successful as CKD, it could be considered a suitable alternative for managing epilepsy. In this randomized clinical trial, 40 children with drug-resistant epilepsy will be enrolled. Participants will be selected from patients referred by Pediatric Neurologists to dietitians for ketogenic diet therapy. After obtaining informed consent, participants will be randomly assigned using a block randomization method to one of two groups: the LGIT group or the CKD group. At the end of three months, the two groups will be compared in terms of seizure frequency and duration using statistical tests. The effectiveness of LGIT relative to CKD will be reported.

What you commit to

• Study type: Interventional
• Participants enrolled: 40
• From 5 Dec 2024 to the primary completion date, 10 Jul 2025
• 1 site in 1 country
• Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Who the study is looking for

Age in the registry: 2 years to 18 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.