WEEK 2 6630 Neurotransmitters and
Receptor Theory
WEEK 2 6630 Neurotransmitters and Receptor Theory
Explain the agonist-to-antagonist spectrum of action of
psychopharmacologic agents, including how partial and inverse
agonist functionality may impact psychopharmacologic
treatments’ efficacy.
In simple terms, an agonist creates a specific action, and the
antagonist opposes a particular activity. Neurotransmitters that
occur naturally stimulate receptors and are thus agonists. Some
medications also stimulate receptors and are therefore agonists
as well. The mechanism of partial agonists or stabilizers the drugs
stimulate the receptors lesser than natural neurotransmitter. It is a
common misconception that antagonists are the opposite of
agonists because they block agonists’ actions. However, although
antagonists prevent agonists’ efforts, they have no activity of their
own in the agonist’s absence (Stern et al., 2016).
For this reason, antagonists are sometimes called “silent.” Inverse
agonists, on the other hand, do have opposite actions compared
to agonists. That is, they not only block agonists but can also
reduce activity below the baseline level when no agonist is
present. Thus, the agonist spectrum reaches from full agonists to
partial agonists through “silent” antagonists and finally inverse
agonists (Stahl, 2013
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