Acute Supplementation of Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Increases Visual Cortical Excitability in Humans: A Combined Electro-EncephaloGraphy and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Uncontrolled prospective before-and-after interventional study in 10 healthy participants.
PubMed 41054910 · doi:10.1111/ejn.70270
What was done
Ten healthy young adult volunteers (mean age 27 years, range 23–34) received a single oral dose of a beta-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) ester. Cortical response and endogenous rhythms were assessed using electroencephalography (measuring steady-state visual evoked potentials and 8–13 Hz resting-state alpha power), and neurometabolic changes (glutamate and GABA+ concentrations) in the occipital cortex were quantified before and after supplementation using magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
What was found
The abstract reports directional outcomes without exact numerical values, effect sizes, or test statistics. Acute βHB supplementation increased occipital glutamate concentrations (while GABA+ remained unchanged), increased resting-state EEG alpha power (8–13 Hz), and increased steady-state visual evoked potential amplitudes. The increase in glutamate concentration was positively correlated with the increase in steady-state visual evoked potential amplitude.
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary human evidence that acute exogenous ketone elevation can directly modulate both neurochemical concentrations and electrophysiological excitability in the visual cortex.
Limits
The study evaluated a very small sample (n = 10) of young healthy adults, limiting statistical power and generalizability. There was no placebo or sham control condition described to rule out order, time-of-day, or expectation effects. The abstract omits precise quantitative measurements and variance data, and acute single-dose findings cannot predict the outcomes of chronic ketone supplementation.
Cited by
- context Beta-hydroxybutyrate increases GABA and balances glutamate and GABA neurotransmission in the brain.
- context Beta-hydroxybutyrate increases GABA levels.