Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29955649›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.)2018

Feasibility and efficacy data from a ketogenic diet intervention in Alzheimer's disease.

Matthew K Taylor, Debra K Sullivan, Jonathan D Mahnken, Jeffrey M Burns, Russell H Swerdlow

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 169 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
169citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
12.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

169 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 270 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  8. Trial
  9. Effects of the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin in early Alzheimer's disease: A randomized controlled trial.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
    Trial
  10. A ketogenic drink improves cognition in mild cognitive impairment: Results of a 6-month RCT.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2021
    Trial
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  15. Review
  16. Cross-tissue immune profiling of APOE ε4 reveals early dysregulation in Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Article
  17. Ferroptotic neurodegeneration and diet: a narrative review.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Review
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Review

109 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Matthew K TaylorUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center, Fairway, KS, USA.
Debra K SullivanUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center, Fairway, KS, USA.
Jonathan D MahnkenUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center, Fairway, KS, USA.
Jeffrey M BurnsUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center, Fairway, KS, USA.
Russell H SwerdlowUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center, Fairway, KS, USA.
University of Kansas · USUniversity of Kansas Medical Center · US

Funding

University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (KU ADRC)P30AG072973 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI JEFFREY Murray BURNS, RUSSELL H. SWERDLOW · 2021 to 2026
$25.3M
University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Core CentersP30AG035982 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI SWERDLOW, RUSSELL H. · 2011 to 2020
$16.6M
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG035982NIA NIH HHS P30 AG072973
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionWe assessed the feasibility and cognitive effects of a ketogenic diet (KD) in participants with Alzheimer's disease.

methodsThe Ketogenic Diet Retention and Feasibility Trial featured a 3-month, medium-chain triglyceride-supplemented KD followed by a 1-month washout in clinical dementia rating (CDR) 0.5, 1, and 2 participants. We obtained urine acetoacetate, serum β-hydroxybutyrate, food record, and safety data. We administered the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale and Mini-Mental State Examination before the KD, and following the intervention and washout.

resultsWe enrolled seven CDR 0.5, four CDR 1, and four CDR 2 participants. One CDR 0.5 and all CDR 2 participants withdrew citing caregiver burden. The 10 completers achieved ketosis. Most adverse events were medium-chain triglyceride-related. Among the completers, the mean of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale score improved by 4.1 points during the diet ( DISCUSSION: This pilot trial justifies KD studies in mild Alzheimer's disease.

Indexed as

Alzheimer's diseaseCognitionKetogenic dietLow-carbohydrate dietMedium-chain triglyceride

Identifiers

PMID29955649
PMCPMC6021549
OpenAlexW2772361019

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.