Modified Atkins Diet Delayed the Onset of Epileptogenesis, Improved Motor Coordination and Enhanced Learning Memory in Mice

Abstract

Modified Atkins diet is a high fat, moderate protein and carbohydrate diet that has long been used to manage intractable epilepsy in developed countries. However, the use of this diet for same condition is uncommon in most low- and middle-income countries including Nigeria. In a previous research, we formulated modified Atkins diet using cheap and locally-available food materials in Nigeria. This research is thus, aimed at evaluating the effect of the formulated modified Atkins diet on seizure plasticity using the PTZ-induced kindling model of seizure. We also investigated the effect of sub-chronic use (60 days) of the diet on motor coordination using positional sense test and on visual-spatial reference and learning memory using Morris-water maze. The result revealed that the formulated modified Atkins diet significantly (<i>p<0.05</i>) increased seizure plasticity by reducing the severity of seizure as well as delaying the onset of tonic-clonic seizure and death. The diet also enhanced motor coordination, and improved learning memory, but not reference memory in mice. We therefore concluded that the formulated modified Atkins diet may be of benefit in the management of intractable/treatment-resistant epilepsy, especially in patients who are already suffering from amnesia and/or postural instability since the diet was able to offer protection against seizure-induced memory loss and motor-incoordination in mice.