Maintenance ECT in a patient with catatonic schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia.

We describe a 44-year-old-man with a 14-year history of catatonic schizophrenia and a 2-year history of tardive dyskinesia. Because of the worsening course of his illness in recent months, characterized by resistance to antipsychotic drugs and 4 hospitalizations in 7 months with early relapses after inpatient electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), outpatient maintenance ECT was administered. Without receiving any psychotropic medication, the patient's functional capacity was enhanced and he required no hospitalization during a 9-month period of maintenance ECT.