Comparing the pattern of serotonin, 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid and homovanillic acid in five brain areas of one dysphoric patient to those of 3 depressed patients it seems that dysphoria biochemically is a state between depression and mania. Dynamically, dysphoria may possibly be seen as a behavioral correlate of a switch process between high and low turnover of neurotransmitters (rather high frequency in comparison to bipolar disorder with very low frequency). However, the biochemical data are obviously in agreement with psychiatric findings, i.e. that dysphoria in any case is an extremely labile state.