The Ketogenic Diet as a Potential Therapy in Down syndrome

Kyle Kaneko

doi:10.29245/2578-2940/2018/2.1121

Abstract

Down syndrome is a common genetic intellectual disability seen in humans. Currently, therapeutic interventions are inadequate in improving the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome that have cognitive and behavioral impairments. Nutrition therapies for Down syndrome have focused on addressing obesity but not intellectual disability and cognitive decline. The ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high fat diet used to treat childhood and adult epilepsy, however, there is growing interest in its potential to improve cognition and behavior. There is evidence suggesting that the ketogenic diet may be effective in treating comorbidities associated with Down syndrome such as early onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This review aims to discuss the ketogenic diet and the potential benefits that the diet may provide in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. We propose that the ketogenic diet may be a therapeutic option for cognitive decline in Down syndrome and warrants investigation.

Highlights

Down syndrome (DS), or trisomy 21, is a chromosomal disorder that is considered the most common genetic intellectual disability in humans, with a worldwide prevalence of 1 in 1100 live births[1]
50% of the participants had significant improvements in CARS-2 scores in the areas of imitation, body use, and fear or nervousness. These results suggest that the ketogenic diet (KD) may be a potential safe and effective treatment that should be considered for treatment of social impairments in children with ASD21
DS is a common cause of intellectual disability and involves multiple comorbidities including epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)

Summary

Introduction

Down syndrome (DS), or trisomy 21, is a chromosomal disorder that is considered the most common genetic intellectual disability in humans, with a worldwide prevalence of 1 in 1100 live births[1]. DS is characterized by distinctive facial and skeletal features, hypotonia, developmental delay, and intellectual disability[1]. Intellectual disability and behavioral problems are often the most impairing symptoms for individuals and families with DS. 80% of individuals with DS have moderate cognitive impairment[3]. Individuals with DS experience delays in cognitive development with specific deficits in speech, language production, verbal short-term memory, and explicit long term memory[4]. Cognitive impairment exists in the majority of individuals with DS, expressivity and severity vary considerably[4]

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