Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Regional, functional and transcriptomic decoding of multidimensional brain structure alterations in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Clinical and sociodemographic correlates of body mass index in a large multicenter obsessive-compulsive disorder sample.

Eating and weight disorders : EWD·2026
Same author

Do patients and clinicians agree on the essential features of OCD?

CNS spectrums·2026
Same author

Acceptance and commitment therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder: Cross-cultural systematic review and meta-analysis.

Journal of psychiatric research·2026
Same author

Traumatic and stressful life events as precipitants of obsessive compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder.

Journal of traumatic stress·2025
Same author

Fifty Years of Lithium in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Related Disorders: A Systematic Review of Clinical Evidence Challenging a Theoretical Assumption.

Neuropsychobiology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
11:17

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Published on: November 25, 2025

923

Electroconvulsive therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review.

Leonardo F Fontenelle1, Evandro S F Coutinho, Natália M Lins-Martins

  • 1Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 547, Sala 617, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, CEP: 22410-003 lfontenelle@gmail.com.

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|April 7, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) showed a positive response in 60% of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) cases. However, this review does not confirm ECT

More Related Videos

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
09:29

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

16.0K
Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
09:14

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

1.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
11:17

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Published on: November 25, 2025

923
Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
09:29

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

16.0K
Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
09:14

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

1.3K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Surgical treatments for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are not accessible to all patients.
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is widely considered ineffective for OCD, but this claim lacks systematic review.
  • This review systematically evaluates the evidence for ECT's efficacy in treating OCD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the existing literature on the acute treatment effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  • To analyze individual case data to compare characteristics of ECT responders versus non-responders in OCD patients.
  • To assess whether current evidence supports or refutes the long-held view of ECT's ineffectiveness for OCD.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive systematic search of multiple databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS) was performed up to December 22, 2013.
  • Search terms included 'obsessive-compulsive disorder' and 'electroconvulsive therapy'; reference lists and registries were also checked.
  • Fifty articles detailing acute ECT treatment effects in 279 patients with OCD and related conditions were analyzed, focusing on individual case data.

Main Results:

  • The majority of reviewed studies were case reports/series; no randomized controlled trials were identified.
  • A positive response to ECT was reported in 60.4% of 265 cases with available outcome data.
  • Responders to ECT were characterized by later symptom onset, less frequent depression, treatment for severe OCD, fewer ECT sessions, and less prior exposure to SSRIs and CBT.

Conclusions:

  • While a significant proportion of reported cases showed a positive response to ECT, this does not constitute definitive evidence of its effectiveness for OCD.
  • The findings highlight specific patient characteristics associated with positive ECT response in OCD, warranting further investigation.
  • Further rigorous research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to establish the efficacy of ECT for obsessive-compulsive disorder.