A channel blocker (CB) or ion channel blocker (ICB) is a type of drug which binds inside the pore of a specific type of ion channel and blocks the flow of ions through it, resulting in an alteration of the electrochemical gradient of the cell membrane of neurons and therefore a change in neurotransmission.
There are several different major classes of channel blockers, including:
The following types which act on ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) via binding to their pore also exist:
These types of receptor antagonists are referred to as noncompetitive or uncompetitive.