Indirect Agonist

An indirect agonist, also known as indirect-acting agonist, is a substance which promotes the release of endogenous chemicals without producing an internal biological response. For instance, cocaine functions as an indirect agonist of dopamine (neurotransmitter responsible for reward-motivated behavior) as it increases the extracellular dopamine concentration while inhibiting the termination of dopamine signaling. This explains the addicting effect of cocaine.