World Psychiatry
February 1, 2016
Fabrizio Schifano, Laura Orsolini, G. Duccio Papanti et al.
319 citations
Novel psychoactive substances encompass a wide variety of drugs, including synthetic cannabinoids, cathinone derivatives, psychedelic phenethylamines, novel stimulants, synthetic opioids, tryptamine derivatives, dissociatives, piperazines, GABA receptor agonists, prescribed medications, psychoactive plants, and performance-enhancing drugs. Users are often drawn to them for intense psychoactive effects and their likely undetectability in routine drug tests. These substances act on neurotransmitter pathways such as dopamine, cannabinoid CB1, GABA-A/B, 5-HT2A, glutamate, and kappa opioid receptors—systems whose imbalance is linked to mental health conditions. The paper provides psychiatrists with updated knowledge on the clinical pharmacology and psychopathological consequences of these drugs, along with a brief overview of clinical management.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
November 1, 2005
Fabrizio Schifano, Paolo Deluca, Lisa Agosti et al.
70 citations
The compound 2C-T-7 ('Blue Mystic'), which resembles MDMA and other designer drugs, has rarely been identified in the EU, yet online discussion among experimenters has recently grown. A review of cyber and street market information found that 2C-T-7 was first synthesized in 1986 and produces desired effects of empathy and well-being, with anecdotal reports of hallucinations, nausea, anxiety, panic attacks, and paranoid ideation. Street-level availability in Europe appears very low, though one US death from mono-intoxication is documented. From an initial 360 websites, 118 were analyzed: 14 (11.9%) described synthesis, and 5 (4.2%) offered the drug for sale.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
July 1, 2015
Stefania Chiappini, Hugh Claridge, John M. Corkery et al.
45 citations
Methoxetamine (MXE), a novel psychoactive substance, was found in eight fatalities in the UK between 2011 and 2013. The median age at death was 27 years; most decedents were White and male. MXE was directly implicated in four deaths and likely contributed to two others, and in seven of eight cases it was used alongside other substances. The report calls for more research into MXE's health effects and toxicity, and for healthcare professionals to be aware of its harms to develop early interventions and reduce poisonings and deaths.