Improvement of Parkinsonism in depressed patients treated with ECT

Abstract

Two patients with severe Parkinson's disease were treated with electroconvulsive therapy for a supervening depression. Not only did the symptoms of depression clear up after only four treatments, but the parkinsonian signs also showed striking and sustained improvement. This may be related to ECT-induced changes in dopamine and norepinephrine metabolism. Parkinsonism does not appear to be a contraindication to ECT. On the contrary, ECT may be the treatment of choice for certain patients with Parkinson's disease, whether nor not it is complicated by intractable depression.