An open trial of electroconvulsive therapy was conducted in nine subjects who met DSM-III criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder. There was an initial reduction in symptomatology that lasted from 1 to 4 months. Subjects who had less obsessive-compulsive (anankastic) personality traits responded better. There was also the post hoc observation that subjects who were agitated did better. We observed correlations between depression and interference scores, but not with symptom scores, suggesting that ECT has anti-obsessional activity.