Mechanisms of drug action

Learning objectives

To understand what a psychotropic drug is.
To understand at the molecular level the mechanisms of action of the principal psychotropic drugs.
To locate the molecular targets of the psychotropic drugs.
To understand the physiological modes of action of these molecular targets.
To establish a summary picture of the modes of action of drugs.
To introduce the notions of agonist and antagonist.

This animation presents the different mechanisms of action of drugs that are at the origin of drug dependence.

Click on the drug whose action is to be observed, then on {play}.