Is anyone aware of more recent research looking at improvement of motor and non-motor symptoms of PD in patients who received ECT (for various reasons)?
It was recently discussed on the ECTAS site - some people have reported ECT for Depression in a case of Parkinsons and mobility improved after 2 ECT sessions but this effect was not long lasting. Also reported was a trial (that was not publised) on TMS That indicated that it was useful in those with Parkinson's disease as it lessens the motor tremor.
Balke, L. Douglas; Varma, Anjali. (2007). A case of long-term maintenance ECT in a 78-year-old with depression and possible Parkinson's disease.
CNS Spectrums12.5 (May 2007): 325-326.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-established treatment modality in psychiatry. However, much concern has been raised about the possible cognitive effects of long-term ECT. This case report concerns a 78-year-old woman with depression and Parkinson's-like symptoms who has continued to receive maintenance ECT for 6 years with intact cognitive status.
Mahgoub, Nahla. (2009). Depression in Parkinson's disease and treatment challenges.
Psychiatric Annals39.1 (Jan 2009): 15-16.
http://dx.doi.org.ezp.sub.su.se/10.3928/00485713-20090101-05
Chou, Kelvin L.; Hurtig, Howard I.; Jaggi, Jurg L.; Baltuch, Gordon H.; Pelchat, Rodney J.; et al.(2005). Electroconvulsive therapy for depression in a Parkinson's disease patient with bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulators.
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders11.6 (Sep 2005): 403-406.
Abstract. We report a patient with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) who developed a recurrence of major depression with psychotic features after bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) dramatically improved the depression without shifting electrode position or damaging the DBS hardware. This case suggests that ECT can be a safe and effective option for severe depression in PD patients treated with STN DBS.
Actually there are around the word several studies about TDCS for motor and non-motor symptoms in PD. TDCS is more safe, bat has to be performed dor several consecutive days (5 to 10) and repeated quarterly.
Hi,
ECT has shown to be very effective for both depression and psychosis in PD. Although there is not as much evidence on the effect of ECT on motor symptoms, case reports and case series hint at ECT improving some motor symptoms in PD. This should not be surprising as PET studies have shown that ECT is associated with increase dopamine release.
Best regards,
Fidel
Unfortunately, the research literature has a sample of studies with the patient number of one or two patients, and of course all reported studies show very positive results. We have no information on the number of ECT patients with no or more adverse effects than before the ECT was tried. We need more careful regulation of ECT with PD and depression studies that include all patients, not just the cases where the treatment seemed to work miracles.
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