Safety and Feasibility of Ketogenic Diet for Traumatic Brain Injury Study Protocol

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major health concern for United States contributing nearly one-third of injury-related deaths in United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.7 million people in the United States sustain a TBI each year. It is responsible for significant disabilities and the total cost of productivity loss was estimated to be $76.5 billion in the United States in 2004.

Several animal models have demonstrated the effectiveness of ketones in brain injury to decrease the size of contusion, improving cortical ATP levels, reduced brain edema and cellular apoptosis. Ketones have been shown to be effective in neuromodulation in animal models. Evaluation of carbohydrate free diet has been done in traumatic brain injury patients and it was noted to not cause fluctuations in blood glucose. There is a need for safety and feasibility study of ketogenic diet in traumatic brain injury patients and to understand the effectiveness in neuromodulation in humans. The present study focuses on identifying the safety and feasibility of KD in traumatic brain injury patients.

This pilot project data will be utilized to design future randomized clinical trials. Based on the safety data, further trials will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of KD in traumatic brain injury patients and its effectiveness in controlling elevated intracranial pressure. It will open the avenue for consideration of new treatment option for intracranial pressure management and functional recovery. From a nutrition perspective, Ketogenic diet might become the standard of care for this patient population.