As you continue to learn about psychopharmacology, you will find that medications used to treat mental health conditions are agonists across the spectrum. It will be important for you to recognize some of those medications and how they act on a variety of neurochemicals in different ways to treat the symptoms.

In this Assignment, you will “scavenger” the literature as you research the agonist spectrum and key neurotransmitters and pathways targeted in psychopharmacology. You will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge as you create a Concept Map exploring each of the agonist spectrum listed below. Support your answers with evidence-based, peer-reviewed scholarly literature. APA style format title page, citations, and references will apply.

Note: You will not set up your Assignment as a paragraph-formatted paper but, instead, as a creative, visually appealing Concept Map.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review the Learning Resources assigned this week.
• Review the Concept Map resources.
• Explore the listed agonist spectrum and consider the action and receptor of each:
  • Agonist
  • Partial agonist
  • Antagonist
  • Inverse agonist

The Assignment

You will submit a concept map exploring the four agonists on the agonist spectrum (agonist, partial agonist, antagonist, and inverse agonist) in which you:

• Describe the different characteristics of the four agonists and how each mediates distinct biological activities. Include proposed mechanisms and the receptor it is targeting.
• Identify how the P450 enzyme system plays a role in the body’s absorption, distribution, and clearance of medication.
• Scavenge the literature after describing each agonist on the spectrum for research that is based on the medications in the table below.
• Apply the medications to the appropriate agonist on the agonist spectrum in your Concept Map.