Dr. Deanna Kelly has worked in the field of schizophrenia research and care for nearly 30 years. During the conversation, Dr. Kelly discussed a privately-funded, innovative, inpatient study exploring the effects of ketogenic therapy on schizophrenia, which was recently stopped by the Maryland Department of Health for no clear cause.

Your support in advocating for the continuation of this research can make a significant difference in the future of mental health treatment. Please sign the petition by Dr. Christopher Palmer on Change.org.

Exploring Ketogenic Therapy for Schizophrenia: A Study by the Maryland Psychiatric Center

Dr. Deanna Kelly: Our team has been in search of new treatments and strategies to improve care for our patients with schizophrenia at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in conjunction with Spring Grove Hospital Center. Unfortunately, many of the antipsychotics available today have significant side effects and are not effective for everyone. This led us to explore alternative treatments, including ketogenic therapy, which shows promise in managing schizophrenia symptoms by addressing underlying metabolic and immune factors.

The Inspiration and Importance of Exploring Ketogenic Therapy for Schizophrenia in an In-Patient Setting

Dr. Kelly: My interest in metabolic psychiatry began about a decade ago. After reading works by Dr. Chris Palmer and others, I saw the potential of ketogenic therapy to help patients beyond the traditional antipsychotic treatments. This therapy involves a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that induces ketosis, which has been shown to have various neurological benefits. Our study aimed to investigate this in a controlled inpatient environment to ensure the accuracy and reliability of our results. 

Everyone that's in it has a similar exercise routine, and similar living arrangements so that we can study other mechanisms like the gut microbiota. So we have a controlled environment to do that. At the same time we gave our inpatients a chance to try something new. 

To our knowledge, this was the first such inpatient study. 

Design and Goals of Dr. Kelly’s Ketogenic Therapy Study for Schizophrenia

Dr. Kelly: Our study was designed as a single-blind, randomized trial lasting five weeks. Participants were either assigned to a ketogenic diet or a regular diet after thorough assessments and informed consent. We measured psychiatric symptoms, side effects, levels of ketosis, and collected stool samples to study gut microbiota. The goal was to determine if a ketogenic diet could significantly improve schizophrenia symptoms in a controlled setting where variables such as diet and exercise were standardized.

Patient Enrollment Numbers When the Ketogenic Therapy Study Was Discontinued

Dr. Kelly: We had enrolled four participants in the study. They received tailored diets prepared by our team of dieticians and had their meals provided to ensure compliance and accuracy. Unfortunately, despite the meticulous planning and execution, the study was abruptly halted by the Maryland Department of Health.

Why the Maryland Department of Health Shut Down the Study and Its Impact

Dr. Kelly: The Maryland Department of Health decided to halt all privately funded inpatient psychiatry research studies without providing a clear reason. This was the only study currently underway, so the only one ultimately shut down. This decision was made despite no safety concerns or complaints about our study. While federally funded studies have been allowed to proceed, privately funded ones, like ours, have been unfairly targeted. This has significantly impacted our ability to continue this important research and denied patients access to potentially beneficial treatments.

And it’s important to note that we can still do rigorous, well-controlled science regardless of whether the source of funds was private or public.

The Importance of Privately-Funded Scientific Studies

Dr. Kelly: It’s challenging to get federal funding for clinical trials. In a review of NIH sponsored trials published last year, only one NIH sponsored drug trial was found in schizophrenia. And in fact, that's our other federally funded study that we have going on, a study of clozapine. So that just shows us that in the field right now, clinical trials are funded by other means. To get science done in our country, we rely on important private foundations and nonprofits to support this work. 

How the Public Can Help Support the Continuation of Schizophrenia Research

Dr. Kelly: Public education is crucial. It's important for people to understand how rigorous and safe our research practices are. We encourage everyone to sign the petition circulated by Dr. Christopher Palmer on Change.org, which advocates for the continuation of our privately funded research study. Additionally, raising awareness through social media and contacting lawmakers can help highlight the importance of supporting innovative research in psychiatry.

Get Involved:

1. Sign the petition: https://chng.it/xz78wPNzgj

2. Contact the Secretary directly:

   • Twitter/X: https://x.com/MDHealthDept

   • Email: laura.herrerascott@maryland.gov

   • Phone: (410) 767-4639, 1-877-463-3464 (toll-free, Maryland), tdd: 1-800-735-2258 (toll-free)

3. Share these posts on social media:

   • Dr. Chris Palmer's post, Jan Ellison Baszucki’s post 

   • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzPlQ6dJwe8

   • Metabolic Mind's X post with the Dr. Kelly interview: https://x.com/Metabolic_Mind/status/1808294458724962538

   • Metabolic Mind LinkedIn Post with the video:
     https://bit.ly/3VSM7pe

   • Metabolic Mind's Twitter/X post with the Dr. Kelly interview:
     https://x.com/Metabolic_Mind/status/1808294458724962538