STRESS, ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS, AND THE LOCUS-COERULEUS

This review presents a synthesis of a large body of seemingly inconsis tent literature on the role of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC- NE) system and the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-median eminen ce system in mediating the CNS effects of stress and the therapeutic e ffects of antidepressant drugs. The clinical implications of these fin dings for the etiology and treatment of strsss-related psychiatric dis orders such as depression will be discussed.