L-Dopa, Dopamine, and Hypomania

Greater urinary excretion of dopamine during L-dopa administration was observed in bipolar than in unipolar depressed patients. The authors suggest that increased levels of brain dopamine may play a role in the development of hypomania and mania, since there is a tendency for bipolar patients to regularly develop hypomanic episodes during L-dopa treatment and since evidence from animal studies indicates that increased brain dopamine is highly correlated with increased psychomotor activity.