NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY OF MOOD DISORDERS

Neuroendocrine aspects of mood disorders are showing a definite shift from Studies that attempt to assess the responsivity of monoamine rece ptors, especially noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine, to studies th at focus on the primary neuroendocrine stress system, namely, the hypo thalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Recent research has helped to delinea te the subtle changes that take place in this axis in depression, toge ther with the disturbances that may result from such risk factors as m aternal deprivation or sexual abuse.