[Metabolism of noradrenaline and endogenous depression (author's transl)].

between a population of de pressed patients and a healthy control group. How ever, several research groups found that b ip 0 la r de pressed patients had a significantly lower MHPG ex cretion than u n ip 0 la r patients. In addition 4 diffe rent laboratories demonstrated that MHPG excretion values were useable as an indicator for the antidepres sant response to somatic treatment methods. The alteration of the central noradrenaline turnover in man by psychotropic drugs and therapeutic sleep deprivation points to the important role of noradre nergic function for the modification of emotion and drive.