Browsing by Author "Vento, Alessandro"

Now showing items 1-14 of 14

    • Benefits and Harms of 'Smart Drugs' (Nootropics) in Healthy Individuals 

      Schifano, Fabrizio; Catalani, Valeria; Sharif, Safia (Sophia); Napoletano, Flavia; Corkery, John; Arillotta, Davide; Fergus, Suzanne; Vento, Alessandro; Guirguis, Amira (2022-04-02)
      ‘Smart drugs’ (also known as ‘nootropics’ and ‘cognitive enhancers’ [CEs]) are being used by healthy subjects (i.e. students and workers) typically to improve memory, attention, learning, executive functions and vigilance, ...

    • The clinical challenges of synthetic cathinones 

      Schifano, Fabrizio; Napoletano, Flavia; Arillotta, Davide; Zangani, Caroline; Gilgar, Liam; Guirguis, Amira; Corkery, John; Vento, Alessandro (2019-11-01)
      Within the new psychoactive substances (NPS) scenario, several hundreds of different molecules, mostly including synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones, have so far been identified. The aims of the paper were to: (a) identify ...

    • Designer Benzodiazepines’ Activity on Opioid Receptors: A Docking Study 

      Catalani, Valeria; Botha, Michelle; Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira; Vento, Alessandro; Schifano, Fabrizio (2022-09-22)
      BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that benzodiazepines (BZDs) seem to enhance euphoric and reinforcing properties of opioids in opioid users so that a direct effect on opioid receptors has been postulated, together ...

    • The e-psychonauts’ ‘Spiced’ World; assessment of the synthetic cannabinoids’ information available online 

      Zangani, Caroline; Schifano, Fabrizio; Napoletano, Flavia; Arillotta, Davide; Gilgar, Liam; Guirguis, Amira; Corkery, John Martin; Gambini, Orsola; Vento, Alessandro (2020-03-02)
      Background: A wide range of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) is regularly searched and discussed online by web-based drug enthusiasts (i.e. the e-psychonauts). Among NPS, the range of synthetic cannabinoids (SC; ‘Spice’) ...

    • Identifying new/emerging psychoactive substances at the time of COVID-19; a web-based approach 

      Catalini, Valeria; Arillotta, Davide; Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira; Vento, Alessandro; Schifano, Fabrizio (2021-02-09)
      COVID-19-related disruptions of people and goods' circulation can affect drug markets, especially for new psychoactive substances (NPSs). Drug shortages could cause a change in available NPS, with the introduction of new, ...

    • In silico studies on recreational drugs: 3D quantitative structure activity relationship prediction of classified and de novo designer benzodiazepines 

      Catalani, Valeria; Floresta, Giuseppe; Botha, Michelle; Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira; Vento, Alessandro; Abbate, Vincenzo; Schifano, Fabrizio (2023-01-30)
      Currently, increasing availability and popularity of designer benzodiazepines (DBZDs) constitutes a primary threat to public health. To assess this threat, the biological activity/potency of DBZDs was investigated using ...

    • New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and Serotonin Syndrome onset: a Systematic Review 

      Schifano, Fabrizio; Chiappini, Stephania; Corkery, John; Scherbaum, Norbert; Napoletano, Flavia; Arillotta, Davide; Catalani, Valeria; Vento, Alessandro; Pettorruso, Mauro; Martinotti, Giovanni; di Giannantonio, Massimo; Guirguis, Amira (2021-05-01)
      The use of several new psychoactive substances (NPS) has become very popular and is posing global health risks. Chemically and pharmacologically diverse molecules are constantly emerging and are presenting with a wide range ...

    • 'New/Designer Benzodiazepines': an analysis of the literature and psychonauts’ trip reports 

      Orsolini, Laura; Corkery, John; Chiappini, Stephania; Guirguis, Amira; Vento, Alessandro; De Berardis, Domenico; Papanti, Duccio; Schifano, Fabrizio (2020-01-10)
      Background: NPS belonging to the benzodiazepine (BZD) class, e.g., ‘legal/designer BZDs’/‘research chemicals’, have recently emerged in the drug (mainly online/virtual) market. Objective: While certain NPS belonging to the ...

    • The psychonauts' world of cognitive enhancers 

      Napoletano, Flavia; Schifano, Fabrizio; Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira; Arillotta, Davide; Zangani, Caroline; Vento, Alessandro (2020-09-11)
      Background: There is growing availability of novel psychoactive substances (NPS), including cognitive enhancers (CEs) which can be used in the treatment of certain mental health disorders. Whilst treating cognitive deficit ...

    • The psychonauts’ benzodiazepines; quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis and docking prediction of their biological activity 

      Catalani, Valeria; Botha, Michelle; Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira; Vento, Alessandro; Scherbaum, Norbert; Schifano, Fabrizio (2021-07-26)
      Designer benzodiazepines (DBZDs) represent a serious health concern and are increasingly re-ported in polydrug consumption-related fatalities. When new DBZDs are identified, very limited information is available on their ...

    • Psychonauts’ psychedelics: a systematic, multilingual, web-crawling exercise 

      Catalani, Valeria; Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira; Napoletano, Flavia; Arillotta, Davide; Zangani, Caroline; Vento, Alessandro; Schifano, Fabrizio (2021-08-01)
      Psychedelics alter the perception of reality through agonist or partial agonist interaction with the 2A serotoninergic receptor. They are classified as phenethylamines, tryptamines and lysergamides. These classes, according ...

    • Stimulant and hallucinogenic novel psychoactive substances; an update 

      Schifano, Fabrizio; Vento, Alessandro; Scherbaum, Norbert; Guirguis, Amira (2023-11-22)
      Introduction The renewed interest in considering a range of stimulants, psychedelics and dissociatives as therapeutics emphasizes the need to draft an updated overview of these drugs’ clinical and pharmacological issues. ...

    • Substance use in the club scene of Rome : a pilot study 

      Vento, Alessandro; Martinotti, Giovanni; Cinosi, Eduardo; Lupi, Matteo; Acciavatti, Tiziano; Carrus, Dario; Santacroce, Rita; Chillemi, Eleonora; Bonifaci, Ludovica; di Giannantonio, Massimo; Corazza, Ornella; Schifano, Fabrizio (2014-08-28)
      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 ...

    • Treatment of kratom use disorder with a classical tricyclic antidepressant: A case report and review 

      Vento, Alessandro; de Persis, Simone; De Filippis, Sergio; Schifano, Fabrizio; Napoletano, Flavia; Corkery, John Martin; Kotzalidis, Georgios D. (2021-03-31)
      Kratom or Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) is an evergreen tree of the coffee family native to South-East Asia and Australasia. It is used by locals recreationally to induce stimulant and sedative effects and medically to soothe ...