Norepinephrine Dysfunction in Depression

The study of the noradrenergic neurotransmitter system remains one of the cornerstones of depressionresearch. Better understanding of the action of norepinephrine and other catecholamines at thesynaptic and intracellular level holds the potential for providing clues to the etiology of depressionand introduces exciting possibilities for the development of novel medications for the treatment ofdepression. The following review of norepinephrine as it relates to depression will shed light on thecurrent understanding of the noradrenergic system and the role for selective norepinephrine reuptakeinhibitors (selective NRIs) in the treatment of depression.