Ketogenic Diet with Severe Altered States of Consciousness in Children
Gregory Hansen
Novel Techniques in Nutrition & Food Science May 27, 2021 DOI: 10.31031/ntnf.2021.06.000628 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Descriptive cohort study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13 |
| Population | Children under 17 years of age admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with stroke, traumatic brain injury, or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy |
| Intervention | Ketogenic diet |
| Duration | 19-month study period |
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Key findings | In 13 children with severe altered states of consciousness, a ketogenic diet produced an average beta-hydroxybutyrate of 1.7 mmol/L, with hypoglycemia in one patient (8%), acidosis in seven (54%), and no kidney stones. The authors report delayed enteral nutrition and low average protein intake (0.58 g/kg) and describe protocol modifications to address these issues. |
Abstract
Introduction: Recommendations for children with severe altered states of consciousness does not include ketogenic nutrition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate short-term quality control outcomes for a ketogenic diet in this population, document challenges, and guide next steps.
Methods: We performed a 19-month descriptive cohort study that included children, <17 years of age, admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Short-term quality control outcomes included increase in beta-hydroxybutyrate, number of episodes of blood glucose levels below 4 mmol/L, development of acidosis (pH < 7.3), and clinical development of kidney stones.
Results: Thirteen patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy were evaluated. The average beta-hydroxybutyrate level was 1.7 mmol/L, one patient (8%) developed hypoglycemia, seven patients (54%) developed acidosis, and no kidney stones were documented. Initiation of enteral nutrition was delayed, and the average protein intake was 0.58 g/kg.
Conclusion: Modifications to our ketogenic protocol included changes to the ketogenic ratio, and earlier wean to optimize protein, and the goal of positive ketones from both serum and urine testing only.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG. 6 female, 7 male human participants | 2019 | Observational cohort | n = 13 |
| Measures of entropy and complexity in altered states of consciousness Subjects during resting wakefulness, different sleep stages, and epileptic seizures | 2017 | Observational study | |
| Altered States of Consciousness and Short-Term Psychological After-Effects Induced by the First Time Ritual Use of Ayahuasca in an Urban Context in Brazil First-time ayahuasca users in Santo Daime and União do Vegetal rituals | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 28 |
| Quantifying arousal and awareness in altered states of consciousness using interpretable deep learning Healthy individuals during sleep, individuals under general anesthesia, and patients... | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 71 |
| Subanaesthetic ketamine and altered states of consciousness in humans Human volunteers | 2018 | Observational study | n = 15 |