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Choi AH, Delgado M, Chen KY, Chung ST, Courville A, Turner SA, Yang S, Airaghi K, Dustin I, McGurrin P, Wu T, Hallett M, Ehrlich DJ. A randomized feasibility trial of medium chain triglyceride-supplemented ketogenic diet in people with Parkinson's disease. BMC Neurol 2024; 24:106. [PMID: 38561682 PMCID: PMC10983636 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03603-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A ketogenic diet (KD) may benefit people with neurodegenerative disorders marked by mitochondrial depolarization/insufficiency, including Parkinson's disease (PD). OBJECTIVE Evaluate whether a KD supplemented by medium chain triglyceride (MCT-KD) oil is feasible and acceptable for PD patients. Furthermore, we explored the effects of MCT-KD on blood ketone levels, metabolic parameters, levodopa absorption, mobility, nonmotor symptoms, simple motor and cognitive tests, autonomic function, and resting-state electroencephalography (rsEEG). METHODS A one-week in-hospital, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled diet (MCT-KD vs. standard diet (SD)), followed by an at-home two-week open-label extension. The primary outcome was KD feasibility and acceptability. The secondary outcome was the change in Timed Up & Go (TUG) on day 7 of the diet intervention. Additional exploratory outcomes included the N-Back task, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Non-Motor Symptom Scale, and rsEEG connectivity. RESULTS A total of 15/16 subjects completed the study. The mean acceptability was 2.3/3, indicating willingness to continue the KD. Day 7 TUG time was not significantly different between the SD and KD groups. The nonmotor symptom severity score was reduced at the week 3 visit and to a greater extent in the KD group. UPDRS, 3-back, and rsEEG measures were not significantly different between groups. Blood ketosis was attained by day 4 in the KD group and to a greater extent at week 3 than in the SD group. The plasma levodopa metabolites DOPAC and dopamine both showed nonsignificant increasing trends over 3 days in the KD vs. SD groups. CONCLUSIONS An MCT-supplemented KD is feasible and acceptable to PD patients but requires further study to understand its effects on symptoms and disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION Trial Registration Number NCT04584346, registration dates were Oct 14, 2020 - Sept 13, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander H Choi
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | - Melanie Delgado
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kong Y Chen
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stephanie T Chung
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Amber Courville
- NIH Clinical Center Nutrition Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sara A Turner
- NIH Clinical Center Nutrition Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shanna Yang
- NIH Clinical Center Nutrition Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kayla Airaghi
- NIH Clinical Center Nutrition Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Irene Dustin
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patrick McGurrin
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tianxia Wu
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark Hallett
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Debra J Ehrlich
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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