Application of low glycemic index treatment in children with refractory epilepsy / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Ketogenic diet (KD) has been applied to the treatment of epilepsy for the last century, although it has been underestimated due to the complicated preparation for beginners and the emergence of antiepileptic drugs.Due to the limitations of the mechanism of drug treatment of epilepsy, and the pathogenesis of epilepsy is complex, the incidence of drug-resistant epilepsy has not improved with the development of drugs over the years.KD plays an anti-epileptic and neuroprotective role through a variety of mechanisms, which is also effective to refractory epilepsy.As a result, KD has been emphasized again.Classical KD has high fat content and complicated operation.When the training is not fine enough, many patients cannot understand and qualify the operation.To overcome the disadvantages of the conventional KD, a modified KD has been developed that is closer to a normal diet structure and has a good tolerance, namely the low glycemic index treatment (LGIT). LGIT is featured by a slightly higher intake of carbohydrates, simplified meal preparation, improved taste and tolerance.This review aims to describe the mechanism, clinical outcomes and indications of LGIT in children with refractory epilepsy.