A pilot study of the low glycaemic index diet in adults with Epilepsy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A PILOT STUDY OF THE LOW GLYCAEMIC INDEX DIET IN ADULTS WITH EPILEPSY
IRAS ID
252162
Contact name
Stephen Howell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
STH20468, STH number
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Many persons with epilepsy have seizures which remain uncontrolled by anti-epilepsy medications and are unsuitable for or unwilling to undergo surgical treatments for their epilepsy or have undergone such treatments and continue to have seizures. Dietary treatments for epilepsy have been shown to be effective in children, and are probably effective in adults, but compliance with the classic ketogenic diet (KD) and to some degree also the modified Atkins diet (MAD) seems difficult for many adults. The low glycaemic index (LGI) diet may be easier and in children appears to be of comparable efficacy to other dietary treatments (KD and MAD), but has been little studied in adults. A randomised study of immediate versus deferred LGI diet in adults with seizures incompletely controlled by anti-epilepsy medications is proposed. 12 weeks of support from a dietician for change to the LGI diet in those randomised to start the diet will be followed by the opportunity for the control group to have the same support for 12 weeks of the LGI diet. This was the design of randomised studies of the classic ketogenic diet (KD) and modified Atkins diet (MAD) which showed efficacy in children (Neal et al. 2008; Sharma et al. 2013). The main aim of the study, however, is not to assess efficacy, which will require a larger study, but to assess the acceptability of the LGI diet and the ability of adults with epilepsy to adhere to it. This will aid the design of a study to assess the effect on seizures (one of several secondary outcomes in the study).
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NW/0800
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion