REFRACTORY OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER AND ECT

The authors review their experience with electroconvulsive therapy (EC T) in 32 patients meeting DSM-IIIR criteria for obsessive compulsive d isorder. Air patients had received extensive behavioral and cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy prior to the initiation of ECT without app arent benefit. Following ECT, most subjects showed considerable improv ement in obsessive compulsive symptoms and remained improved up to 1 y ear after therapy. Some patients also showed short-term improvements o n several measures of depression. The change in obsessive compulsive s ymptoms, however, appeared to be independent of changes in measures of depression.