Pilot Study of the Modified Atkins Diet for Tourette Syndrome

Pharmacotherapy has long been considered the primary approach for tic suppression in Tourette syndrome (TS). Unfortunately, medications are often ineffective and frequently have significant side-effects. This is a pilot therapeutic study using a dietary approach, the modified Atkins diet (MAD). The goal of this study is to establish the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of dietary therapy in patients with TS ("proof of concept") and to determine whether this intervention is worthy of evaluation in large-scale clinical trials. The modified Atkins diet mimics the well established ketogenic diet, but in a less-restrictive dietary manner. Dietary approaches using the MAD/ketogenic diet are currently under investigation for neurological conditions other than epilepsy, including Alzheimer disease, headaches, autism, narcolepsy, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, and depression.

Inclusion Criteria: Ages 12-65 years Tourette syndrome (vocal and motor tics for over a year) > 20 score on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale Ability to follow instructions and comply with the dietary changes Exclusion Criteria: Secondary tics Underweight (BMI < 5%) Prior use of the Atkins diet for over 2 days High cholesterol or triglycerides Major depression or anxiety disorder Pregnancy Substance abuse

Kossoff EH, Dorward JL. The modified Atkins diet. Epilepsia. 2008 Nov;49 Suppl 8:37-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01831.x.