Non Invasive Determination Of Ketosis Induced Elimination Of Chronic Daytime Somnolence In A Patient

This study followed a woman with late-stage dementia who suffered from chronic daytime sleepiness, meaning she was awake only about 7% of her days. The researchers suspected her dementia might be caused by "Type 3 diabetes" - a condition where brain cells become resistant to insulin and can't use glucose properly for energy, similar to how Type 2 diabetes affects the rest of the body.

The patient was treated with a ketogenic diet that produced low levels of ketones in her blood, supplemented with periods of ketone ester drinks that created higher ketone levels. Ketones are an alternative fuel source that brain cells can use when glucose isn't working well. Over about 10 months, her wakefulness gradually improved from 7% to 85% of days, following a predictable curve that suggested actual repair was happening in her brain.

What made this case particularly interesting was that the improvements appeared to be permanent. When the patient became ill and her sleepiness returned, it took only 10 days of ketone therapy to restore her wakefulness - much faster than the initial recovery. This suggests the first treatment actually repaired damaged brain circuits, while the second treatment simply re-energized those already-repaired pathways.

The researchers believe ketones may have triggered the growth of new brain cells (neurogenesis) through increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and improved mitochondrial function. While this is just one case study, it suggests ketogenic approaches might help restore brain function in neurodegenerative conditions by addressing underlying metabolic dysfunction rather than just managing symptoms.