It does so by blocking the fast voltage-sensitive potassium channels in cells, including neurons, muscle and other excitable tissues. This increases both the speed and reliability of conduction, including the amount of neurotransmitter released per action potential. Neurophysiologists have used the drug for decades. 4-AP is not an innocuous drug. It has powerful effects on the nervous system and interacts with many drugs, including alcohol.
Ethanol depresses neuronal excitability.
4-AP may antagonize many of the effects of ethanol and vice versa. Depending on the dose, 4-AP may mask alcohol so that you do not feel the effects of alcohol as much. Likewise, alcohol may oppose the effects of 4-AP and reduce its efficacy. Many other drugs may interact with 4-AP, as it antagonizes most drugs that depress the neural activity. Unfortunately, most of these effects of 4-AP and interactions with drugs have not been systematically studied.