Neural plasticity and addiction: PI3-kinase and cocaine behavioral sensitization

Academic Article
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publication date

  • December 2002

abstract

  • Drug addiction has been linked to protracted functional changes in neural circuits involved in motivation that can lead to drug dependence, craving and relapse. Here we investigated the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) signal transduction pathway in long-lasting behavioral sensitization to cocaine in rats, an animal model of the long-lasting functional changes induced by repeated drug use. Our results show that PI3K is required for the expression, but not the induction, of behavioral sensitization to cocaine.