Overview of Ketogenic Diet in the Laboratory

Abstract

Abstract Increased clinical interest in the ketogenic diet and similar metabolic treatments has naturally spurred research into mechanisms underlying their anticonvulsant/antiepileptogenic efficacy; significant progress and new insights are being made after many decades of relative obscurity. This section, “Ketogenic Diet in the Laboratory,” includes discussions of a number of molecular targets that are affected by ketogenic diet feeding. New insights into mechanisms, combined with clinical observations, are potentially expanding the utilitiy of this metabolic approach. In parallel, several alternative experimental methods to either elucidate or mobilize ketogenic diet mechanisms are explored. Based on this laboratory research, putative and novel uses for metabolic treatments are proposed.