Early monoaminergic dysfunction.

The chemical anatomy of the Rett syndrome and experimental studies concerning early monoaminergic lesions were overviewed. An early monoaminergic dysfunction is a likely occurrence for the mechanism underlying the Rett syndrome. For assessing the alteration of monoamine neuron system, 1) regional vulnerability, 2) age-dependent vulnerability and 3) interaction between the monoamine neuron systems should be considered.