Research: Precision Ketogenic Therapy

Resources to Administer Precision Ketogenic Therapy 

We have created or refined the resources of others designed to ensure the best possible care of our patients on PKT. They allow us to provide personalized diets for the patients based on the nutrient composition of foods. These resources include  

• Nutrition needs calculators 
• Meal equivalent (recipe) calculators 
• Foodomics database 

• Seizure quantitation calculators 
• Antiseizure medication calculators 

Clinical Parameters for PKT 

• Parameters frequently used in patient care and clinical research classified as the things the patient and provider can control are termed Input 

• For patients experiencing seizures, the patient and provider control the type and amount of antiseizure medications.  
• Patients control their intake of food or diet.   
• Thus, antiseizure medications and diet are the main clinical parameters input for patients on PKT. 

• Things that the patient and provider monitor and may wish to influence, but do not control, are termed Output.  

• During PKT the provider works with the patient to alter the diet with the goals of stopping seizures and optimizing nutritional status using the same set of chemicals/nutrients. 

• The antiseizure medications and dietary prescriptions are designed to influence the monitored clinical output parameters. 

• Seizures 
• Anthropometrics 
• Clinical laboratory parameters.  

Research Parameters for PKT 

• Our lab is researching several parameters that are altered on PKT. Currently they are not available in clinical care. If our research demonstrates a role in patient care, these parameters could become available for clinical care and be used to guide PKT for patients.  
• Improved understanding of the interrelationship of these parameters may provide insight into the metabolism underlying the mechanism of how PKT impacts seizures. 

• Fecal Metabolome 
• Fecal Microbiome 

• Plasma Metabolome 
• Red Blood Cell Metabolome 
• Urine Metabolome 

PKT Patient Folders and Data Tracking 

• Optimal administration of PKT requires comprehensive integration of typical clinical parameters and new information coming from research. The organization of individual patient updated data in a readily accessible format must be maintained.   
• Addressing research questions requires the organization of patient data from current patients and noncurrent patients. 
• Data science tools for personalized calculation of parameters are regularly created and implemented. 
• Patient data visualization tools are regularly created and implemented.