ECT as a possible treatment for motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease.

The efficacy of ECT as a treatment for severe affective disorders is well known. Less well known is the fact that positive effects of ECT have been described in some neurological disorders as well. The authors review published case-histories and study results regarding the effectiveness of ECT as a treatment for motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease, with or without concurrent depression. The only controlled study that has been published describes an improvement of motor symptoms for up to six weeks after treatment. This is in line with a number of open studies and case-histories, that describe positive effects lasting from several weeks up to four years after discontinuation of ECT treatment. Two open studies (one retrospective and one prospective) report no improvement. In the authors' opinion, the quoted literature justifies larger controlled studies into the efficacy of ECT as a treatment for motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease, especially in the group of patients for which pharmacological treatment options have been exhausted.