The Study
The impact of ketogenic diet on the frequency of psychogenic non‐epileptic seizures (PNES): A feasibility randomized pilot study
This study tried a special diet on a few people with seizures and noticed they seemed to feel better. But because only a few people were in each group and we couldn't tell if the diet was really the reason, we can't say for sure the diet caused the improvement.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if a low-carb diet (Modified Atkins) could help people who have seizures that aren't caused by epilepsy. They gave half the people this diet and half a normal healthy diet.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 577 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The improvements happened for everyone, so it might be because they got more care and attention — not because of the diet itself.
- 2Everyone had fewer seizures and felt less anxious or depressed after 6 weeks.
- 3The low-carb group lost more weight and went into ketosis, but didn't do better than the normal diet group.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Epilepsia Open
Year
2025
Authors
Reinhard Janssen-Aguilar, Juan Galindez-de la Portilla, I. Martínez-Juárez, Claudia Mimiaga-Hernández, Gabriel Alvarado-Luis, Andrea Aguilar-Hernandez, K. A. Garcia-Esparza, Mariel Hernadez-Palestina, Daniel Crail-Meléndez
Related Content
Claims (4)
Among adults with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, a 6-week Modified Atkins Diet resulted in measurable improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms, but the same improvements occurred in a group following a healthy diet.
In adults with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, the Modified Atkins Diet can be followed for six weeks without serious side effects, though some people experience mild issues like nausea, constipation, or headache at the start.
In a group of 17 adults with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, following a Modified Atkins Diet for six weeks was linked to fewer seizures each month, though the reduction was not statistically different from what was seen in a control group.
Among adults with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, a Modified Atkins Diet did not lead to better reductions in seizure frequency, depression, or anxiety than a standard healthy diet, even though it caused more ketosis and weight loss.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.