Mental, emotional, and behavioral effects of ketogenic diet for non-epileptic neuropsychiatric conditions

Ruth B Grigolon; Fernando Gerchman; Alice C Schöffel; Emily R Hawken; Hartej Gill; Gustavo H Vazquez; Rodrigo B Mansur; Roger S McIntyre; Elisa Brietzke

doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109947

Mental, emotional, and behavioral effects of ketogenic diet for non-epileptic neuropsychiatric conditions

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2020 Aug 30:102:109947. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109947. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Authors

Ruth B Grigolon¹, Fernando Gerchman², Alice C Schöffel³, Emily R Hawken⁴, Hartej Gill⁵, Gustavo H Vazquez⁶, Rodrigo B Mansur⁷, Roger S McIntyre⁷, Elisa Brietzke⁸

Affiliations

¹ Post-Graduation Program in Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Service of Endocrinology and Metabology, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
³ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada.
⁵ Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada; Mood Disorders Outpatient Clinic, Providence Care Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada.
⁷ Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁸ Post-Graduation Program in Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada; Centre for Neuroscience Studies (CNS), Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. Electronic address: elisa.brietzke@queensu.ca.

PMID: 32305355
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109947

Abstract

Ketogenic diet (KD) is comprised of a distinct macronutrient combination: i.e. 90% fat, 8% of protein and 2% of carbohydrates, typically characterized as a high-fat low-carbohydrate diet. KD's efficacy was largely established for treatment resistant epilepsy in children, but its mental, emotional and behavioral effects remain largely unknown. Nevertheless, the efficacious effects of KD in childhood epilepsy provide rationale for repurposing this approach for other brain-based disorders. Consequently, clinicians and researchers should be aware of the evidence regarding efficacy, as well as the benefits and risks of adopting this diet. Results from animals and humans studies provide equivocal evidence across multiple domains of psychopathology. Conceptually, KD shows promise to serve as an efficacious treatment for mental disorders.

Keywords: Behaviors; Cognition; Ketogenic diet; Mental disorders; Nutritional psychiatry.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Behavior*
Brain Chemistry
Diet, Ketogenic* / adverse effects
Emotions*
Humans
Mental Disorders / diet therapy*
Mental Disorders / psychology*
Treatment Outcome