Pharmacological perturbation of cholinergic systems: applications to the study of pathophysiological mechanisms in affective disorders.

Clinical, behavioral, physiological, biochemical and receptor binding parameters are useful as dependent measures in studies into the pathophysiology of affective disorders. Pharmacological perturbation of cholinergic mechanisms and modification of cholinergic-monoaminergic interaction mimics aspects of the neurobiology of affective disorders. The effects of these pharmacological manipulations can be quantitatively assessed by measuring their impact on variables in each of these classes. These deviations are easily and safely produced by several classes of drugs which directly or indirectly modify the function of central muscarinic cholinergic networks. Methods for inducing these changes in cholinergic systems and their application to clinical and basic research in the field of affective disorders are highlighted.