Step 1: Mood disorders are best explained by the monoamine hypothesis, which holds that serotonin and norepinephrine are the principal neurotransmitters involved.
Step 2: In mania there is an increased level of norepinephrine, producing the elevated mood, overactivity, and high energy seen clinically. Hence increased norepinephrine is the correct answer.
Step 3: Contrast this with depression, where both serotonin and norepinephrine are decreased, with serotonin being the most important neurotransmitter and markedly reduced in severe depression with suicidal intent. The decreased norepinephrine option is therefore the depression pattern, not mania. Acetylcholine and GABA also have a supporting role in mood regulation.