The author reviews the association between Parkinson's disease and
depression and presents evidence to support the hypothesis that depression
may be not only reactive but biochemically related to the disease. A
psychotically depressed patient with parkinsonism responded positively to
ECT as shown by improvement on a depression rating scale, two
extrapyramidal rating scales, and handwriting samples. The beneficial
effect on parkinsonian signs occurred before the improvement in depression,
which suggests that ECT has a specific antiparkinsonian effect. Possible
explanations for this observation based on biochemical theories of
depression are discussed.Abstract Teaser