CASE REPORT article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
This article is part of the Research TopicKetogenic Metabolic Therapies in Prevention & Treatment of Non-communicable Diseases: Volume IIView all 5 articles
Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Retrospective Case Report
Provisionally accepted
- Mental Health Keto, Vancouver, United States
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Background: This case report examines the application of ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT), also known as the ketogenic diet, in a patient with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from military sexual trauma (MST) who was nonresponsive to conventional interventions including psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Metabolic dysfunction can contribute to persistent symptoms highlighting the need for novel treatment approaches. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a 45-year-old female patient who underwent a structured ketogenic dietary intervention for 25 weeks. Therapeutic carbohydrate restriction was initiated by the patient nine days before formal treatment with rapid and early improvements in mood prior to working with the KMT professional. Clinical response was monitored using validated instruments, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 (PCL-5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-42 (DASS-42), as well as daily metabolic measurements assessing nutritional ketosis. Results: Quantitative assessments demonstrated significant clinical improvement. The PCL-5 score decreased from 32 at the intervention baseline to 2 at 27 weeks. The PHQ-9 score declined from 10 to 0 and the GAD-7 score decreased from 6 to 0. DASS-42 further confirmed the resolution of depressive, anxious, and stress symptoms. Qualitative data corroborated these findings, with the patient reporting enhanced mood stability, improved cognitive function, and a renewed sense of emotional well-being. Conclusion: Targeted KMT may be effective against the metabolic dysfunction underlying treatment-resistant PTSD. The consistent improvements across multiple psychometric assessments, supported by qualitative reports, warrant further controlled investigations into the clinical utility of this intervention.
Keywords: case report, Ketogenic Diet, ketogenic metabolic therapy, metabolic psychiatry, Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, Treatment-resistant
Received: 26 Nov 2025; Accepted: 05 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Laurent. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nicole Laurent
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