Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39543202›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2024

Impact of L-carnitine supplementation on gastric emptying and bowel function in pediatric ketogenic diet therapy: a clinical trial.

May Fouad Nassar, Mennatallah Osama Shata, Shrouk Mohamed Awadallah, Mennatallah Ayman Youssef, Haya Essam Ibrahim

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07421661 (Effect of Epilepsy and Antiepileptic Drug Therapy on Gastric Motility and Emptying by Comparing Gastric Volume With Point-Of-Care Gastric Ultrasound in Epileptic Patients After Standard CAS/ASA Fasting Guidelines), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT07421661 not yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Epilepsy and Antiepileptic Drug Therapy on Gastric Motility and Emptying by Comparing Gastric Volume With Point-Of-Care Gastric Ultrasound in Epileptic Patients After Standard CAS/ASA Fasting Guidelines

TypeobservationalSponsorLondon Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph'sRan2026 to 2028Enrolled30ConditionsEpilepsyArmsGastric Ultrasound
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

May Fouad NassarPediatric Clinical Nutrition Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. maynassar@med.asu.edu.eg.ORCID 0000-0002-6960-1336
Mennatallah Osama ShataPediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0002-3391-5392
Shrouk Mohamed AwadallahDepartment of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0002-1244-1001
Mennatallah Ayman YoussefPediatric Clinical Nutrition Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.ORCID 0009-0005-2658-6462
Haya Essam IbrahimPediatric Clinical Nutrition Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.ORCID 0009-0009-9090-9464

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ketogenic diet (KD) is an excess fat, enough protein, and minimal carbohydrate diet. The high fat content in KD lowers the oesophageal sphincter tone, slows gastric emptying, and decreases intestinal transit time. The primary aim of the current clinical trial was to study the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on gastric emptying in children with drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) on KD. Assessment of the protective effect of L-carnitine on bowel function and habits in those patients was a secondary aim. The current study recruited 30 patients aged 12 months to 18 years newly diagnosed with DRE assigned to start KD who were following up at the Pediatric Clinical Nutrition and Neurology Outpatient Clinics or were admitted due to DRE at the Pediatric Neurology Inpatient Department, Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University (Egypt). Participants were assigned randomly into 2 arms; arm I: received KD with L-carnitine supplementation, arm II: received KD only. Patients were assessed at baseline and after 3 months of starting KD, the assessments of children included: 24-hour dietary recall, Chalfont Seizures Severity Scale, gastrointestinal symptoms score and Bristol stool chart, frequency of defecation per week, anthropometric measurements assessment, fasting serum lipid profile and measurement of the antral length by ultrasound. There was significant increase in antral length in the patients who received KD with L-carnitine supplementation compared to the non-supplemented group. The antral length showed a significant negative correlation with GI symptoms score in all cases and the L-carnitine supplemented group. It also showed a significant positive correlation with Bristol stool score in all patients and a significant positive correlation with stool frequency in the L-carnitine supplemented group only. L-carnitine supplementation to children with DRE on KD has a significant role in improving gastric motility and it increases the frequency of defecation. Further studies are recommended to explore additional benefits, meanwhile it is prudent to advise L-carnitine supplementation for such patients.

Indexed as

CarnitineDietary SupplementsDiet, KetogenicGastric EmptyingAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolDrug Resistant EpilepsyFemaleHumansInfantMaleCarnitineClinical trialGastric emptyingKetogenic dietL-carnitinePediatric drug resistant epilepsy

Identifiers

PMID39543202
PMCPMC11564695

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Registered trials

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.