How could a mimic be used to distinguish if another drug blocks the receptor?

[chinocollege]

Hello, I have been racking my brain trying to figure this question out!! Please help!!

I know that Drugs influence the nervous system by blocking neurotransmitters receptors, inhibiting the release of the neurotransmitter, or mimicking the neurotransmitter.

How could a mimic be used to distinguish if another drug blocks the receptor or inhibits the release of a neurotransmitter?

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

This is my thinking: If you give a mimic and it DOES NOT function as expected then you can make the inference that something is wrong. In this case it sounds like the mimic would be used to confirm that another drug being given to the individual is thus blocking the receptor or the release of the neurotransmitter is being blocked. Let's just say a patient is getting a drug known to block a certain neurotransmitter and you want to make certain that it is doing that and is not caused by something else. So if you give the mimic and the mimic works then the cause is not from the drug or if it is from the drug the mimic will not work.

What do other think about this answer? I am not 100 percent sure that I answered the question b/c to me the question is a bit odd.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

That is a complicated answer...this may help. http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih2/addiction/guide/pdfs/lesson3.pdf