ECT and Parkinson's disease revisited: a "naturalistic" study

In an open study, seven patients with Parkinson's disease received ECT for major depression. Both the motor dysfunction and the mood impairment of these patients improved following an average of seven ECT sessions. Significant improvement in motor function occurred after only two treatments. All aspects of Parkinson's disease improved significantly after ECT. Older patients showed greater improvement in motor function. The authors conclude that the therapeutic utility of ECT in depressed and nondepressed patients with Parkinson's disease should be further evaluated.