Diet, ketones, and neurotrauma.

The annual incidence of traumatic brain injury far exceeds the rates of any other disease in the United States, yet progress toward age-relevant therapies, attention to patients needs, and research funding have all been minimal. Cerebral metabolism of glucose has been shown to be altered after head injury, and increasing cerebral metabolism of alternative substrates (ketones) has been shown to be neuroprotective in several models of traumatic brain injury. This altered dietary approach may have tremendous therapeutic potential for both the pediatric and adult head-injured populations.