Electroconvulsive therapy in parkinsonism with affective disorder

The authors report a patient whose Parkinson's disease and mania both responded well to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) after failing to respond to chemotherapy. The authors review the literature and suggest that ECT is a safe and effective treatment for affective syndromes associated with Parkinsonism. The presence of dementia in these patients appears to be an indicator of poor prognosis. This paper is believed to be the first report of successful use of ECT in mania occurring together with Parkinsonism.