Commentary on review by Veith and Raskind: the many faces of depression.

A range of different dysphoric symptomologies are subsumed under the general diagnostic label of depression. This may lead to problems with inter-laboratory reliability when reporting results of depression research. A partial list of a variety of "unhappiness" is submitted to encourage rigor of definitions and to stimulate discussion. Comments are made concerning the difficulty in drawing definitive conclusions about the possible influence of normal aging on CNS disturbances underlying depression. Also, the need is reinforced for in vivo baseline studies of the human nervous system as well as for creative experimentation using a variety of species. Finally, a plea is made for more openness and cooperation in the neurosciences regarding research activities and findings.