F Schifano1, F Napoletano2, S Chiappini1, A Guirguis3, J M Corkery1, S Bonaccorso4, A Ricciardi4,5, N Scherbaum6, A Vento7,8,9. 1. Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK. 2. Homerton University Hospital, London, UK. 3. Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales. 4. Camden and Islington NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, London, UK. 5. Department of Mental Health, ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy. 6. LVR-Klinikum Essen, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. 7. Addictions' Observatory (ODDPSS), Rome, Italy. 8. 'Guglielmo Marconi' University, Rome, Italy. 9. Department of Mental Health, ASL Roma 2, Rome, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The present paper provides an updated review of both the large number of new/novel/emerging psychoactive substances (NPS) and their associated psychopathological consequences. Focus was here given on identification of those NPS being commented in specialised online sources and the related short-/long-term psychopathological and medical ill-health effects. METHODS: NPS have been identified through an innovative crawling/navigating software, called the 'NPS.Finder®', created in order to facilitate the process of early recognition of NPS online. A range of information regarding NPS, including chemical and street names; chemical formula; three-dimensional image and anecdotally reported clinical/psychoactive effects, were here made available. RESULTS: Using the 'NPS.Finder®' approach, a few thousand NPS were here preliminarily identified, a number which is about 4-fold higher than those figures suggested by European and international drug agencies. NPS most commonly associated with the onset of psychopathological consequences included here synthetic cannabinoids/cannabimimetics; new synthetic opioids; ketamine-like dissociatives; novel stimulants; novel psychedelics and several prescription and over-the-counter medicines. CONCLUSIONS: The ever-increasing changes in terms of recreational psychotropics' availability represent a relatively new challenge for psychiatry, as the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of many NPS have not been thoroughly understood. Health/mental health professionals should be informed about the range of NPS; their intake modalities; their psychoactive sought-after effects; the idiosyncratic psychotropics' combinations and finally, their medical and psychopathological risks.
BACKGROUND: The present paper provides an updated review of both the large number of new/novel/emerging psychoactive substances (NPS) and their associated psychopathological consequences. Focus was here given on identification of those NPS being commented in specialised online sources and the related short-/long-term psychopathological and medical ill-health effects. METHODS: NPS have been identified through an innovative crawling/navigating software, called the 'NPS.Finder®', created in order to facilitate the process of early recognition of NPS online. A range of information regarding NPS, including chemical and street names; chemical formula; three-dimensional image and anecdotally reported clinical/psychoactive effects, were here made available. RESULTS: Using the 'NPS.Finder®' approach, a few thousand NPS were here preliminarily identified, a number which is about 4-fold higher than those figures suggested by European and international drug agencies. NPS most commonly associated with the onset of psychopathological consequences included here synthetic cannabinoids/cannabimimetics; new synthetic opioids; ketamine-like dissociatives; novel stimulants; novel psychedelics and several prescription and over-the-counter medicines. CONCLUSIONS: The ever-increasing changes in terms of recreational psychotropics' availability represent a relatively new challenge for psychiatry, as the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of many NPS have not been thoroughly understood. Health/mental health professionals should be informed about the range of NPS; their intake modalities; their psychoactive sought-after effects; the idiosyncratic psychotropics' combinations and finally, their medical and psychopathological risks.
Entities:
Keywords:
Drug-induced psychosis; NPS; drug misuse; new psychoactive substances; prescribing drug misuse; psychedelics
Authors: Michal Ordak; Aleksandra Zmysłowska; Miłosz Bielski; Daniel Rybak; Maja Tomaszewska; Katarzyna Wyszomierska; Aleksandra Kmiec; Natalia Garlicka; Maria Zalewska; Michal Zalewski; Tadeusz Nasierowski; Elzbieta Muszynska; Magdalena Bujalska-Zadrozny Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2021-04-23 Impact factor: 4.157
Authors: Stefania Chiappini; Rachel Vickers-Smith; Amira Guirguis; John M Corkery; Giovanni Martinotti; Daniel R Harris; Fabrizio Schifano Journal: Pharmaceuticals (Basel) Date: 2022-05-27