Maintenance ECT in Parkinson's disease - Short communication

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has an anti-Parkinsonian effect. In two cas es repeated single ECT, i.e. maintenance ECT (MECT), caused different, hith erto unreported positive effects. One patient had either severe mental side effects from higher L-dopa doses or intolerable parkinsonian symptoms on l ower doses. MECT entailed a marked improvement in parkinsonian symptoms wit hout mental side effects. Another patient with depression as well as Parkin son's disease who showed a slight improvement of motor symptoms after a ser ies of ECT presented further anti-parkinsonian effects on MECT.