title: Treatment of Phencyclidine-Associated Psychosis with ECT.
abstract: Phencyclidine (PCP) abuse usually causes a short, self-limited period of intoxication but may lead to a prolonged psychosis, poorly responsive to antipsychotic medications. Prior reports indicate that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe, rapidly effective treatment in such cases, but longer-term outcome has not been studied. We report three cases of PCP-associated psychosis that did not respond to at least 2 weeks of antipsychotic treatment but subsequently responded rapidly to ECT. Follow-up at 14 to 21 months after treatment show that recovery was maintained except in one subject who relapsed after continuing to abuse PCP. ECT should be considered as a treatment early in the course of drug-associated psychoses in which an adequate trial of antipsychotic medication has not been effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen H.
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Dinwiddie
authors.forename: Wayne C.
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Drevets
authors.forename: Dean R.
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Smith