The ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and adequate-protein diet is an established, effective nonpharmacologic treatment option for intractable childhood epilepsy. The KD was developed in 1921 and even though it has been increasingly used worldwide in the past decade, many neurologists are not familiar with this therapeutic approach. In the past few years, alternative and more flexible KD variants have been developed to make the treatment easier and more palatable while reducing side effects and making it available to larger group of refractory epilepsy patients. This review summarizes the history of the KD and the principles and efficacy of the classic ketogenic diet, medium-chain triglyceride(s) (MCT) ketogenic diet, modified Atkins diet, and low glycemic index treatment.

A ketogenic diet is an important therapy used in the control of drug-refractory seizures. Many studies have shown that children and adolescents following ketogenic diets exhibit an over 50% reduction in seizure frequency, which is considered to be clinically relevant. These benefits are based on a diet containing high fat (approximately 90% fat) for 24 months. This dietary model was proposed in the 1920s and has produced variable clinical responses. Previous studies have shown that the mechanisms underlying seizure control involve ketone bodies, which are produced by fatty acid oxidation. Although the pathways involved in the ketogenic diet are not entirely clear, the main effects of the production of ketone bodies appear to be neurotransmitter modulation and antioxidant effects on the brain. This review highlights the impacts of the ketogenic diet on the modulation of neurotransmitters, levels of biogenic monoamines and protective antioxidant mechanisms of neurons. In addition, future perspectives are proposed.

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a nonpharmacologic treatment that has been used for refractory epilepsy since 1921. The KD is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and restricted protein diet, which is calculated and weighed for each individual patient. Introducing and maintaining the diet for a long time remains a challenge. In this study, we evaluated the acceptability, tolerance, and efficacy of a formula-based KD in 10 children with refractory epilepsy. The ketogenic formula tested herein caused only mild KD-related adverse events and adequate adherence. Moreover, 60% of patients had more than 50% seizure frequency reduction and 10% were seizure-free.Keywords: ketogenic diet; epilepsy; diet therapy RESUMO A dieta cetogênica (DC) é um tratamento não farmacológico utilizado para epilepsia refratária desde 1921. A DC possui um alto teor de gordura, sendo restrita em carboidratos e adequada em proteínas, calculada e pesada para cada paciente. A introdução e manutenção da DC por um tempo prolongado permanece um desafio. Neste estudo foi avaliada a aceitação, tolerância e eficácia da DC baseada em fórmula em 10 crianças com epilepsia refratária. A DC apresentou adequada aderência e efeitos adversos leves. Além disso, 60% dos pacientes apresentaram mais de 50 % de redução frequência das crises e 10% ficaram livres de crises.

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The positive effects of KD on the health of children and adolescents with refractory epilepsy are unquestionable. Conversely, this positive role is associated with significant and negative changes in lipid metabolism. Moreover, the positive effects are possibly related to oxidative reactions and unbalance of antioxidants that can contribute to an increased cardiometabolic risk. Therefore, this review invites clinicians and researchers to investigate the lipid and oxidative metabolism in their clinical practice and trials, respectively.

-Purpose: To review the clinical and neurophysiological data of 21 patients with epilepsy due to temporal lobe tumors and who had undergone evaluation and surgery at the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade de São Paulo. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the occurrence of a mirror focus was influenced either by certain clinical factors or if the surgical outcome was influenced by the presence of a mirror focus. Method: We included these 21 patients who had undergone at least one interictal electroencephalogram in the pre-and post-surgical periods. They had had a minimum follow-up of one year. Results: Eight patients had mirror focus (Group 1) and 13 did not (Group 2). The mean age at seizure onset, duration of epilepsy disorder and total number of seizures did not vary statistically between the two groups of patients. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures occurred more frequently in the mirror focus group. All, but one patient, with a mirror focus were seizure free at follow-up. The mirror focus disappeared in all eight patients in the post-surgical electroencephalogram. In this group, the patient who was not seizure -free had a seizure recorded in his post-surgical electroencephalogram with seizure onset ipsilateral to the resected tumor. The patients who were not seizure-free had either been submitted to an incomplete resection of the tumor or showed evidence of associated cortical dysplasia. Conclusion: The occurrence of mirror focus is not a contraindication to surgery even when interictal epileptiform activity predominates contralaterally to the tumor and neither when seizures appear to arise from the mirror focus on scalp EEG. Good surgical outcome is expected despite EEG findings that may conflict with tumor location.KEY WORDS: epilepsy, secondary epileptogenesis, electroencephalography, complex partial seizures, temporal lobe tumors.Epilepsia do lobo temporal por processos expansivos e epileptogênese secundária RESUMO -Introdução: A epileptogênese secundária é descrita como fenômeno em que, uma área epileptogênica primária, geradora de descargas, através de conexões neuroniais com outra área não acometida, pode gradualmente induzir alterações epileptiformes nessa última, que, na maioria das vezes se localiza em região homóloga no hemisfério oposto ao foco primário. Objetivos: Analisar em um grupo de 21 pacientes com processos expansivos do lobo temporal e epilepsia a ocorrência do foco em espelho e os fatores clíni-cos potencialmente responsáveis pelo seu desenvolvimento e sua influência no prognóstico cirúrgico. Método: Foram incluídos 21 pacientes que realizaram eletroencefalograma no período interictal, antes e após o tratamento cirúrgico. Dentre os fatores clínicos estudados destaca-se a idade de início e duração da epilepsia bem como a freqüência de crises epilépticas, por serem considerados relevantes no processo da epileptogênese secundária. Resultados: Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com a presença (8 pacientes) ou não do foco em espelho (13 pacientes). ...

This case report describes neurotoxicity in an older patient on cefepime 2 g twice a day. The 81-year-old male patient developed non-convulsive status epilepticus during cefepime treatment with 1 g twice a day. There was recovery 30 days after discontinuation of cefepime.

Cannabinoids comprehend endocannabinoids, phytocannabinoids, and synthetic cannabinoids, with actions both in the central and peripherical nervous systems. A considerable amount of publications have been made in recent years, although cannabis has been known for over a thousand years. Scientific Departments from the Brazilian Academy of Neurology described evidence for medical use in their areas. Literature is constantly changing, and possible new evidence can emerge in the next days or months. Prescription of these substances must be discussed with patients and their families, with knowledge about adverse events and their efficacy.