Nearly a third of children with epilepsy are refractory to pharmacotherapy. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a highly effective alternative therapy reducing seizure frequency by 50% in more than half of treated children. The exact mechanisms of KD remain poorly understood, and recent studies have implicated the gut microbiota (GM). This pilot study aims to determine the feasibility of a 12-week dietary intervention with prebiotic fiber in children with epilepsy. The investigators hypothesize that consumption of inulin will alter gut microbiota and may have effects on seizure frequency.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
45
Alberta Children's Hospital
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGBC Children's Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
RECRUITINGChange in alpha and beta bacterial diversity measures in stool
Compare the effect of oral inulin vs. placebo on alpha and beta bacterial diversity in the stool of children undergoing ketogenic diet therapy for epilepsy
Time frame: 12 weeks
Change in Short Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) levels in stool
Compare the effect of inulin vs. placebo on SCFA levels in the stool of children undergoing ketogenic diet therapy for epilepsy
Time frame: 12 weeks
Seizure frequency
Trends in seizure frequency during inulin treatment compared to pre-treatment.
Time frame: 12 weeks
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