Drug addiction results in part from the distortion of dopamine-controlled plasticity, and
extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) plays an important role in the underlying
molecular mechanisms of this process. ERK is activated by drugs of abuse in a subset of
neurons in reward-related brain regions. This activation, necessary for the expression of
immediate early genes, depends upon dopamine D1 and glutamate receptors. Blockade of
ERK activation prevents long-lasting behavioral changes, including psychomotor …