Have not heard of this option before: Electroconvulsive Therapy Intervention for Parkinson’s Disease ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/a...
CONCLUSION
Our review of the literature supports the use of ECT as an effective treatment for alleviating refractory motor symptoms in people with PD. However, clinicians who treat PD rarely consider ECT as an acceptable treatment option.15 Much of the literature supporting its use in patients with PD is in the form of case reports, and there is a tendency for only data with positive results to be published.7 There has only been one controlled, double-blinded investigation of ECT in patients with PD.22 In most of the case reports, there is a dearth of a consistent clinical evaluation in symptom changes, making comparison between case studies impossible. In addition, treatment methods differed in electrode placement, number of ECT sessions, and the electrical stimulus parameters, which further limit data comparisons.4
Stigma surrounding the use of ECT may be a reason for underutilization by clinicians in patients with PD, as well as a lack of knowledge about the mechanism of action of ECT.6 Another potential concern clinicians may have is the inability to predict how long the beneficial effects of ECT therapy will last in patients with PD. If studies can show that efficacy is sustained for weeks to months, ECT could become a more accepted mode of treatment for certain patients with PD, including maintenance treatments that are scheduled at intervals tailored to the individual needs. Additional research is needed to clarify ECT parameters for application as well as ways to enhance efficacy for motorically impaired patients with PD.
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My Psydoc said ECT has gotten a bad rap (a lot of it from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), but that it can be very effective for drug resistant depression and can help with Parkinson's symptoms. I have that one in my back pocket, in case my depression returns.
The psychiatrist I was seeing at the time told me that. He’s the type of doc who reads research extensively. I don’t know what research he was referring to,
No, it's very safe and very well tolerated today. Very very effective against drug resistant depression, and in fact is under consideration for some first line use. It is actually more effective than drug therapy. It's not your grandmother's ect.
I know someone who it helped a lot, and she's an older person who had it when she was much younger (before the improvements in the procedure). It brought her back to having a productive life.
There are a lot of opinions on this but it has changed substantially from when the images of ECT as a torturous treatment came into public view. Now the areas of the brain that are connected to mood can be targeted much more closely than before, and the memory center spared for the most part. Yes, there can be some short term memory loss, mostly of recent memories around the time of treatment, but these usually return. Long term memory loss is not as common.
It's now combined with medication, psychotherapy and exercise, to limit the number of sessions needed and help sustain remission. It has a much better remission rate that medication alone.
For anyone who has had the experience of losing the will to live (I've been there), the side effects don't sound that bad.
Of course my comment is related to ECT for depression, but I think it also applies to the potential of using it for Parkinson's which is the focus of this post. If life with Parkinson's symptoms has become unbearable, I think weighing an option like ECT is reasonable.
About 9 years back my mother underwent ECT - about 8 sessions in total to treat Drug resistant Depression (related to PD). After her 3rd session, the way she responded, behaved and talked with us ( the voice, the enthusiasm, etc. that is associated with a normal person) made us believe that she was cured and became normal - I remember even to this day - that is what she said ('I am now normal and cured'). We were all so happy, thinking that she was back to her old self - no tremors either!. Sadly in a matter of couple of days, she went back into depression and the doctor stopped the therapy after a few sessions.
But there is a small % of lucky ones that respond to ECT.
That is amazing that she had a couple of days of normal. I'm sure she felt blessed for at least a day.
My mother died of AD a couple years ago. Sometimes I have dreams that I am visiting her at her old house and she is just fine and we talk about how they used to think she had AD. I enjoy those dreams.
Very sorry to hear about your mother. Mothers are extra special. (No offense to dads).
I sincerely believe that dying without suffering or being bed ridden is the real and ultimate blessing - like aging gracefully, being mentally alert and physically able to do their daily chores til the end and passing away in sleep or just like that without any major issues.
You can count how few of them that you know had this blessing
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