Status:

UNKNOWN

Role of the Gut Microbiota in Pediatric Epilepsy

Lead Sponsor:

British Columbia Children's Hospital

Conditions:

Drug Resistant Epilepsy

Eligibility:

All Genders

2-18 years

Phase:

PHASE4

Brief Summary

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 tre...

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • Children with epilepsy:
  • Age 2-18.
  • Attended the epilepsy clinic for a minimum of 6 months.
  • On a stable number and type of medications for 4 weeks.
  • Have not previously been on the ketogenic diet.
  • Healthy controls:
  • Aged 2-18.
  • Immunocompetent.
  • No medical comorbidities (e.g. autoimmune, metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, or gastrointestinal conditions).

Exclusion

  • Health conditions such as disorders of fatty acid transport and oxidation, porphyria, and pancreatitis, Glucose transporter 1 deficiency, pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency, diabetes, and other autoimmune diseases.
  • Presence of HIV infection, chronic wound infection, or osteomyelitis
  • Presence of or treatment for periodontal infection
  • Inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, current Clostridium difficile infection
  • Treatment with immunosuppressive agents in the past 6 months
  • Significant changes in dietary intake (i.e. excluded sugar, lactose or gluten from their diet, started consuming a vegetarian or vegan diet) over the past 6 months.
  • Gastrointestinal illness in the past month or food intolerances leading to gastrointestinal symptoms.
  • Use of antibiotics in the 3 months preceding the study.
  • Use of probiotic or prebiotic supplements in the month preceding the study.
  • Consumption of probiotic yoghurt in the past 2 weeks.
  • Use of laxatives, proton pump inhibitors, or gastric motility medications in the month preceding the study.
  • History of allergic reaction or intolerance of maltodextrin or inulin.

Key Trial Info

Start Date :

June 1 2021

Trial Type :

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation :

ESTIMATED

End Date :

September 1 2022

Estimated Enrollment :

45 Patients enrolled

Trial Details

Trial ID

NCT04705298

Start Date

June 1 2021

End Date

September 1 2022

Last Update

March 9 2022

Active Locations (2)

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Page 1 of 1 (2 locations)

1

Alberta Children's Hospital

Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T3B 6A8

2

BC Children's Hospital

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3N1