Combined clozapine and electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of drug-induced psychosis in Parkinson's disease

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1995 Summer;7(3):304-7. doi: 10.1176/jnp.7.3.304.

Abstract

Drug-induced psychosis is a serious late complication of Parkinson's disease (PD) that requires aggressive treatment. Recent studies have found clozapine a highly effective and ECT a possibly useful intervention. Two cases are presented that illustrate a possible treatment role for ECT. The cases demonstrate that ECT has significant but short-lived antipsychotic effects when used alone. However, patients who do not respond to clozapine monotherapy can be given adjunctive treatment with ECT. The combination therapy resulted in abrupt alleviation of psychotic symptoms in one of the cases, and maintenance with low-dose clozapine allowed for long-term efficacy. On the basis of these findings, a therapeutic approach to patients with drug-induced psychosis in PD is suggested.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antiparkinson Agents / adverse effects*
  • Antiparkinson Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Clozapine / therapeutic use*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Depressive Disorder / complications
  • Depressive Disorder / therapy
  • Electroconvulsive Therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / complications*
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy
  • Parkinson Disease / psychology
  • Psychoses, Substance-Induced / drug therapy
  • Psychoses, Substance-Induced / psychology
  • Psychoses, Substance-Induced / therapy*

Substances

  • Antiparkinson Agents
  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Clozapine