Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy for intractable Parkinson's disease.

The authors administered electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to four patients with intractable Parkinson's disease who were free from depression or dementia. After an initial "acute" phase, subjects received bitemporal maintenance ECT every 3 to 4 weeks for up to 12 months. Serial measures of mood, cognition, and motor function were performed. One subject developed cognitive impairment after seven maintenance treatments, and another developed delusions during the acute phase of the study. The two subjects completing the 12-month maintenance phase noted significant reductions in "off" time without impairment of cognitive functioning.