ABSTRACT
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an important adjunctive treatment for both the motor difficulties and mood disturbances of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The antidepressant effects of ECT are indubitable and very well established. ECT is a highly effective treatment for severe depression. For depression with psychotic or catatonic features, ECT can be life-saving. In addition, there is literature on ECT improving motor function in patients with PD. In official task force reports in 1990 and 2001, the American Psychiatric Association included PD as an indication for ECT (1,2). This chapter provides practical guidelines for using ECT for both the mood and motor symptoms of PD.
