Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment
July 1, 2026
Alessio Mosca, Stefania Chiappini, Andrea Miuli et al.
INTRODUCTION: Ketamine, initially developed as an anesthetic and now increasingly prescribed for treatment-resistant depression, is also widely misused in recreational contexts. Chronic ketamine use, often leading to dependence, has been associated with severe physical complications, including ulcerative cystitis and gastrointestinal dysfunction, as well as cognitive, affective, and psychotic...
Clinical Neuropsychopharmacology and Addiction
March 10, 2026
Filippo Maria Ferro, Alessio Mosca
Substance-induced psychoses (SIP) may offer a useful vantage point for exploring mechanisms underlying psychotic disorders and for examining the phenomenological specificities of schizophrenia. Clinical observations suggest that a clinically relevant subset of patients does not fully recover after an episode of substance-induced psychosis, raising the hypothesis of more persistent psychotic...
Annals of General Psychiatry
November 25, 2025
Luisa de Risio, Alessio Mosca, Arianna Pasino et al.
Disturbances of the minimal self, or anomalous self-experiences (ASEs), are increasingly regarded as a core feature of primary psychotic disorders (PPDs). However, it remains unclear whether similar self-disorders are present in substance-induced psychosis (SIP), a condition that often mimics PPDs in its early stages. The study aims to compare ASEs between PPD and SIP using the EASE interview,...
Transl Psychiatry
October 31, 2025
Giacomo D’andrea, Stefania Chiappini, Laura Ciavoni et al.
3 citations
Psychedelics and ketamine/esketamine in depressive disorders: biological mechanisms and associated neuroimaging and clinical changes.
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
October 19, 2025
Alessio Mosca, Gianluca Mancusi, Stefania Chiappini et al.
6 citations
Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are increasingly used by young individuals for their psychoactive effects and have been frequently associated with the emergence of psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. However, it remains unclear whether NPS use directly increases the risk of psychosis onset or whether individuals with a predisposition to psychosis are more likely to...
Clinical Neuropsychopharmacology and Addiction
September 25, 2025
Stefania Chiappini, Clara Cavallotto, Andrea Miuli et al.
2 citations
Introduction: Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) affects approximately 30–50% of patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) who fail to respond to at least two adequate antidepressant trials. This condition presents substantial clinical and functional challenges, and no universally accepted treatment algorithm currently exists. Emerging therapeutic strategies, particularly glutamatergic...
Brain Sci
September 17, 2025
Alessio Mosca, Stefania Chiappini, Andrea Miuli et al.
1 citation
Clinical Management of Synthetic-Cannabinoid-Induced Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Treatment Strategies and Outcomes.
Current Neuropharmacology
February 20, 2025
Alessio Mosca, Stefania Chiappini, Gianluca Mancusi et al.
3 citations
BACKGROUND: The widespread availability and accessibility of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines play a vital role in modern healthcare systems, enabling individuals to manage minor health concerns independently. However, certain OTC medications possess pharmacological properties that render them susceptible to misuse and abuse, including stimulants, laxatives, sedatives, and opiate-containing...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Clara Cavallotto, Giacomo D’andrea, Andrea Miuli et al.
1 citation
Abstract Background Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) affects almost 30% of patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (1). Esketamine Nasal Spray (ESK-NS) has recently been approved for TRD in combination with a Serotonin Specific Reuptake Inhibitor/SSRI or a Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor/SNRI. There is a lack of studies investigating the effectiveness and safety of ESK-NS...
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
January 10, 2025
Stefania Chiappini, Amira Guirguis, Nicolò Schifano et al.
12 citations
Intranasal esketamine, approved with oral antidepressants for adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), is the S-enantiomer of ketamine and has higher potency and affinity for N-Methyl-d-Aspartate receptors. Administered intranasally, it offers rapid absorption and onset, essential for severe depressive symptoms or suicidal impulses. Comparative studies on esketamine and ketamine's...
Psychiatry International
September 20, 2024
Alessio Mosca, Stefania Chiappini, Andrea Miuli et al.
5 citations
Background: Piperazines, synthetic compounds known for their stimulant and hallucinogenic effects, have gained prominence among novel psychoactive substances (NPS) and are frequently associated with adverse psychiatric outcomes, including psychosis. Methods: A systematic review of the literature available up to 23 May 2024 was conducted, using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases,...
Current Neuropharmacology
October 20, 2022
Alessio Mosca, Stefania Chiappini, Andrea Miuli et al.
30 citations
BACKGROUND: Ibogaine and noribogaine are psychedelic substances with dissociative properties naturally occurring in plants of the Apocynaceae family. Research has shown their efficacy in treating substance use disorders (SUD), particularly in opiate detoxification, but their efficacy and toxicity are still unclear. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to assess the anti-addictive role of ibogaine and...
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
October 1, 2021
Valerio Ricci, F. Ceci, Francesco di Carlo et al.
BACKGROUND Cannabis is the most used recreational drug worldwide. Its use can increase the risk of developing psychotic disorders and exacerbate their course. However, the relationship between cannabis use and dissociative symptoms has been scarcely investigated. AIMS To examine differences in psychotic and dissociative symptoms, and in functioning in first-episode psychotic patients (FEPp)...
Brain Sciences
June 27, 2021
Giovanni Martinotti, Stefania Chiappini, Mauro Pettorruso et al.
114 citations
The obsessive-compulsive spectrum refers to disorders drawn from several diagnostic categories that share core features related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), such as obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviors and anxiety. Disorders that include these features can be grouped according to the focus of the symptoms, e.g., bodily preoccupation (i.e., eating disorders, ED) or impulse control...
Current Neuropharmacology
January 14, 2021
Stefania Chiappini, Andrea Miuli, Alessio Mosca et al.
19 citations
BACKGROUND: Both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs recently emerged among novel psychoactive substances (NPS) being reported as ingested for recreational purposes. Among them, benzydamine (BZY), normally prescribed as an OTC anti-inflammatory drug, is reportedly being diverted and recreationally used. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate how the misuse of BZY has been...