Novel psychoactive substances in a psychiatric young adults sample: A multicenter, observational study

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S311-S311
Author(s):  
M. Lupi ◽  
T. Acciavatti ◽  
S. Marini ◽  
E. Cinosi ◽  
R. Santacroce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Novel Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Multicenter Observational Study ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Population

IntroductionComorbidities between psychiatric diseases and consumption of traditional substances of abuse are common. Nevertheless, there is no data regarding the use of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in the psychiatric population.ObjectivesThe purpose of this multicentre survey is to investigate the consumption of a wide variety of psychoactive substances in a young psychiatric sample.MethodsBetween September 2013 and November 2015, a questionnaire has been administered, in ten Italian psychiatric care facilities, to a sample of 671 psychiatric patients (48.5% men; 51.5% women), aged between 18 and 26 years (mean age: 22.24).Results8.2% of the sample declared use of NPS at least once in a lifetime and 2.2% have assumed NPS in the last three months. The NPS more used were synthetic cannabinoids (4.5%), followed by methamphetamine (3.6%). The three psychiatric diagnosis with more frequent NPS consumption were bipolar disorder (23.1%), personality disorders (11.8%) and schizophrenia and related disorders (11.6%). Bipolar disorder was associated with NPS consumption (P < .001). Among the illicit drugs investigated, 31.4% of the sample was cannabis smoker and 10.7% cocaine user. Moreover, 70.6% of the sample declared alcohol use and 47.7% had binge drinking conducts. In univariate regression analysis, bipolar disorder was positive associated with binge drinking while obsessive compulsive disorder resulted negative associated.ConclusionsThe use of novel psychoactive substances in a young psychiatric population appears to be a frequent phenomenon, probably still underestimated. Bipolar disorder shows an association with NPS use. Therefore, careful and constant monitoring and accurate evaluations of possible clinical effects related to their use are necessary.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Novel Psychoactive Substances in Young Adults with and without Psychiatric Comorbidities

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Martinotti ◽  
Matteo Lupi ◽  
Tiziano Acciavatti ◽  
Eduardo Cinosi ◽  
Rita Santacroce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Psychiatric Diseases ◽  
Novel Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Young Population ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Paired Sample ◽  
Psychiatric Population ◽  
Substances Of Abuse

Objective. Comorbidities between psychiatric diseases and consumption of traditional substances of abuse (alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and cocaine) are common. Nevertheless, there is no data regarding the use of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in the psychiatric population. The purpose of this multicentre survey is to investigate the consumption of a wide variety of psychoactive substances in a young psychiatric sample and in a paired sample of healthy subjects.Methods. A questionnaire has been administered, in different Italian cities, to 206 psychiatric patients aged 18 to 26 years and to a sample of 2615 healthy subjects matched for sex, gender, and living status.Results. Alcohol consumption was more frequent in the healthy young population compared to age-matched subjects suffering from mental illness (79.5% versus 70.7%;P<0.003). Conversely, cocaine and NPS use was significantly more common in the psychiatric population (cocaine 8.7% versus 4.6%;P=0.002) (NPS 9.8% versus 3%;P<0.001).Conclusions. The use of novel psychoactive substances in a young psychiatric population appears to be a frequent phenomenon, probably still underestimated. Therefore, careful and constant monitoring and accurate evaluations of possible clinical effects related to their use are necessary.

scholarly journals “Hot” and “Cold” Cognition in Users of Club Drugs/Novel Psychoactive Substances

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Savulich ◽  
Owen Bowden-Jones ◽  
Robert Stephenson ◽  
Annette B. Brühl ◽  
Karen D. Ersche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Sensation Seeking ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Neuropsychological Functioning ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Novel Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Club Drugs ◽  
Psychoactive Substances

Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are popular “club/party” drugs that first attracted attention in the UK in 2009 and remained legal until the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act criminalized their distribution. Unlike “traditional” illicit drugs, very little is known about the influence of their analogs on neuropsychological functioning. We characterized the cognitive and emotional profile of NPS/polydrug users using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and EMOTICOM test battery in adult male (aged 20–49 years) recreational users without psychiatric comorbidities (n = 27; “psychonauts”), service users attending a UK specialist “Club Drug” Clinic for problematic use (n = 20) and healthy control volunteers without significant drug-taking histories (n = 35). Tasks were selected to distinguish “hot” cognitive processes that are highly influenced by emotion from “cold” cognitive processes that are largely independent of emotional influence. Both user groups reported significantly higher sensation-seeking traits compared with non-users. Recreational NPS users demonstrated more risk-taking behavior compared with controls and treatment-seeking NPS users showed poorer learning, episodic memory and response inhibition compared with the other two groups. These effects persisted, when controlling for age, intelligence, alcohol and cannabis use severity, nicotine dependence, trait anxiety, depression, childhood adversity, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. Overall, recreational NPS users showed elevated “hot” (emotion-laden) cognition in the absence of “cold” (non-emotional) cognitive deficits, whereas “cold” cognitive dysfunction was pronounced in individuals seeking treatment for problematic NPS use. High trait impulsivity and poor self-control may confer additional risk to NPS/polydrug use severity and separate those seeking treatment from those using NPS recreationally.

scholarly journals Molecular Networking: A Useful Tool for the Identification of New Psychoactive Substances in Seizures by LC–HRMS

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flaminia Vincenti ◽  
Camilla Montesano ◽  
Francesca Di Ottavio ◽  
Adolfo Gregori ◽  
Dario Compagnone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Product ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Nmr Analysis ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Molecular Networking ◽  
Fentanyl Analogs ◽  
Global Concern ◽  
Product Search

New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are a global concern since they are spreading at an unprecedented rate. Despite their commerce still being limited compared to traditional illicit drugs, the identification of NPS in seizures may represent a challenge because of the variety of possible structures. In this study we report the successful application of molecular networking (MN) to identify unexpected fentanyl analogs in two seizures. The samples were extracted with 1 mL of methanol and analyzed with an untargeted data-dependent acquisition approach by LC–HRMS. The obtained data were examined using the MN workflow within the Global Natural Product Search (GNPS). A job was submitted to GNPS by including both seizures and standard mixtures containing synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyls raw files; spectra obtained from standards were used to establish representative networks for both molecular classes. All synthetic cannabinoids in the mixture were linked together resulting in a molecular network despite their different fragmentation spectra. Looking at fentanyls, all the molecules with the typical 188.143 and 105.070 fragments were combined in a representative network. By exploiting the standard networks two unexpected fentanyls were found in the analyzed seizures and were putatively annotated as para-fluorofuranylfentanyl and (iso)butyrylfentanyl. The identity of these two fentanyl analogs was confirmed by NMR analysis. Other m/z ratios in the seizures were compatible with fentanyl derivatives; however, they appeared to be minor constituents, probably impurities or synthetic byproducts. The latter might be of interest for investigations of common fingerprints among different seizures.

scholarly journals Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 606
Author(s):  
Liana Fattore ◽  
Matteo Marti ◽  
Rafaela Mostallino ◽  
Maria Paola Castelli
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Drugs Of Abuse ◽  
Subjective Effects ◽  
Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Sex And Gender Differences

Sex and gender deeply affect the subjective effects and pharmaco-toxicological responses to drugs. Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs and to present to emergency departments for serious or fatal intoxications. However, women are just as likely as men to develop substance use disorders, and may be more susceptible to craving and relapse. Clinical and preclinical studies have shown important differences between males and females after administration of “classic” drugs of abuse (e.g., Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), morphine, cocaine). This scenario has become enormously complicated in the last decade with the overbearing appearance of the new psychoactive substances (NPS) that have emerged as alternatives to regulated drugs. To date, more than 900 NPS have been identified, and can be catalogued in different pharmacological categories including synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic stimulants (cathinones and amphetamine-like), hallucinogenic phenethylamines, synthetic opioids (fentanyls and non-fentanyls), new benzodiazepines and dissociative anesthetics (i.e., methoxetamine and phencyclidine-derivatives). This work collects the little knowledge reached so far on the effects of NPS in male and female animal and human subjects, highlighting how much sex and gender differences in the effects of NPS has yet to be studied and understood.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Recognition and management of the child or young person who has ingested a novel psychoactive substance

2020 ◽  
Vol 105 (6) ◽  
pp. 336-341
Author(s):  
Lee Tubman ◽  
Niall Mullen ◽  
Derek K Tracy
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Acute Management ◽  
Novel Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substance ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Functional Classes

Intoxicated children and young people (CYP) attending the paediatric emergency department (PED) are typically under the influence of alcohol or established recreational agents such as cannabis or ecstasy. The last decade or so has seen an increase in the numbers of CYP in PED who have used novel psychoactive substances (NPS). In this review, we describe four different functional classes of NPS, their legal status, clinical effects, acute management and interventions to reduce harm.

scholarly journals Substance Use in the Club Scene of Rome: A Pilot Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Emiliano Vento ◽  
Giovanni Martinotti ◽  
Eduardo Cinosi ◽  
Matteo Lupi ◽  
Tiziano Acciavatti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Novel Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Smart Drugs ◽  
History Of ◽  
Public Health Challenge ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire ◽  
Very High

Objective. Over the last few years, a wide number of unregulated substances have been marketed on the Web and in smart and head shops; they are usually advertised as legal alternatives to commonly known drugs and are defined as “smart drugs,” “legal highs,” and “novel psychoactive substances” (NPS). Aim of our work is to describe use habits and distribution of NPS in a population of young adults in Rome club scene.Methods. A self-administered questionnaire was proposed to subjects over 18 years of age at the entrance of 5 nightclubs in Rome. Socioeconomic characteristics and substance use were investigated.Results. Preliminary results give evidence that 78% of respondents have a lifetime history of NPS use. In addition, 56% of the sample has consumed illicit drugs in the past and 39% has used psychoactive substances in the 12 hours preceding the questionnaire administration.Conclusions. A significant proportion of subjects report use of novel psychoactive substances; traditional illicit drugs consumption, particularly cocaine, appears to be very high as well in the club scene. These data highlight a serious public health challenge, since pharmacological, toxicological, and psychopathological effects linked to interactions among all these substances may be unpredictable and sometimes fatal in vulnerable individuals.

scholarly journals Unexpected results found in larvae samples from two postmortem forensic cases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olwen Groth ◽  
Simon Franz ◽  
Helena Fels ◽  
Julia Krueger ◽  
Gabriele Roider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Pericardial Fluid ◽  
Supplementary Information ◽  
New Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Toxicological Analysis

Abstract Purpose In forensics, entomological specimens can be used as additional/alternative matrices to detect xenobiotics when human specimens are limited in their application. Despite some advantages over implementing putrefied human remains, most medico-legal laboratories do not include entomotoxicological procedures as routine analytical methods. We thus applied two authentic cases to evaluate necrophagous larvae’s potential as complementary matrices for toxicological analysis after extensive postmortem decomposition. Methods Larvae and postmortem human samples, including hair, stomach contents, pericardial fluid, liver, lung, and skeletal muscle, were collected at autopsy. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for pharmaceutical substances, illicit drugs, and new psychoactive substances, including synthetic cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, new synthetic opioids, and stimulants. Results Nearly all substances detected in human specimens, including several benzodiazepines and synthetic cannabinoids, were also detected in larvae. Surprisingly, some drugs, including the new psychoactive substances EAM-2201 and U-47700, were found exclusively in larvae and hair. The benzodiazepine etizolam was detected only in liver, lungs, and stomach contents, possibly resulting from characteristic tissue distribution in humans and/or larvae. Conclusions Antemortem external hair contamination with synthetic cannabinoids from side-stream smoke and postmortem hair contamination with substances in putrefaction fluids can be supposed in these cases. Our findings suggest that supplementary information can indeed be gained from analyzing larvae additional to those human specimens that are typically used for toxicological analysis after extensive postmortem decomposition. Nevertheless, these results represent merely two cases, requiring in-depth studies to determine whether such findings can identify acute intoxications as possible causes of death.

scholarly journals Electrochemical Strategies for the Screening of Synthetic Cannabinoid BB-22 (QUCHIC) within a Toxicological Specimen

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anaam Ameen ◽  
Kelly Brown ◽  
Lynn Dennany
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽  
Screening Strategy ◽  
Synthetic Cannabinoid ◽  
Novel Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Sample Analysis ◽  
Primary Metabolite ◽  
Biological Matrix ◽  
Improve Treatment ◽  
Treatment Administration

Abstract Synthetic Cannabinoids (SC) are amongst the most prevalent class of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) which have emerged. The increase in hospitalisation and fatalities as a result of the prevalence of these SC and their abuse, highlights the necessity for the rapid and reliable screening for the substance within toxicological samples. Being able to rapidly screen for these substances would aim to improve overdose triage and ultimately improve treatment administration. Not only this but it would have further advantages for in-field applications such as the identification of drivers under the influence. To this avail we investigate the ability of a simple electrochemical screening strategy for the detection of SC, BB-22 and its primary metabolite BB-22-3-Carboxyindole. Assessment of the feasibility of the strategy for implementation into toxicological sample analysis was performed through detection not only under ideal electrolyte conditions (down to 5 µM for BB-22 and 2 µM for its metabolite) but also within the complex biological matrix of human pooled serum (between 200 and 700 µM), a relevant matrix it would likely encounter if employed within this field.

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