Psychoneuroendocrinology of affective disorder: an overview.

Neuroendocrine function has been reported by several workers to be abnormal in affective disorder. It has been shown that neurotransmitters (noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotinin) are involved in the regulation of neuroendocrine function. Several biological hypotheses of affective disorder have implicated a defect in neurotransmitter function, but these hypotheses have been found lacking in part over the years. The study of neuroendocrine abnormalities found in various types of affective disorder may clarify some aspects of this complex issue by reflecting neurotransmitter activity in this disorder. Such studies should help further explain affective illness.