Asian Journal of Psychiatry
July 10, 2025
Valerio Ricci, A. Sarni, Marialuiga Barresi et al.
Cannabis use represents a significant risk factor for both psychotic disorders and suicidal behaviors, with growing evidence suggesting complex interactions between these variables. This systematic review examines the relationship between cannabis use and suicide risk in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients, and explores underlying mechanisms, moderating factors, and intervention strategies....
Journal of Psychiatric Research
June 19, 2025
Valerio Ricci, Ilenia di Muzio, Mancusi Gianluca et al.
2 citations
AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the differences in psychotic symptomatology, dissociative symptoms, alexithymia, and aberrant salience among three groups: non-cannabis users (NU), natural cannabis users (NC), and synthetic cannabinoid users (SCs). The study also explored the patterns of alexithymia and its associations with other psychopathological dimensions in these populations....
Current Neuropharmacology
April 7, 2025
Marika Alborghetti, Luana Lionetto, Ginevra Lombardozzi et al.
1 citation
Esketamine is administered intranasally in combination with at least another antidepressant in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Some of these antidepressants might affect ketamine's pharmacokinetic profile by inhibiting cytochrome-P450 (CYP450) isoforms. Our aim was to establish how different types of combined antidepressants affect serum and salivary levels of esketamine at the...
Journal of Personalized Medicine
April 1, 2025
Marco Di, M. Pepe, Giacomo D’andrea et al.
18 citations
Background. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a prevalent, high-burden disorder. Esketamine nasal spray (ESK-NS) has been approved for, T.R.D.; and efficacy has been observed in both clinical trials and real-world studies. However, observations integrating patients’ perspective on this treatment are limited. This multicentric Italian study explored experiences with ESK-NS in TRD patients,...
Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
April 1, 2025
Stefania Chiappini, Gaia Sampogna, Antonio Ventriglio et al.
17 citations
The phenomenology of depression is characterized by a wide array of emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms that significantly disrupt an individual's life. Societal changes, driven by technological advancements, economic pressures, environmental concerns including climate change, and shifting cultural norms, have influenced how depression manifests and is understood. These developments...
Psychiatry Research
April 1, 2025
Valerio Ricci, Stefania Chiappini, Giovanni Martinotti et al.
Epidemiological data have provided evidence that psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) occur in the general population without clinical impairment. According to the psychosis continuum hypothesis, PLEs are subject to multiple risk factors. This review synthesizes current research on biological, substance use-related, and environmental risk factors for PLEs in non-clinical populations....
Archiv der Pharmazie
March 1, 2025
Giuseppe Floresta, Alberto Granzotto, Vincenzo Patamia et al.
12 citations
Abstract Xylazine, traditionally used as a veterinary sedative, has recently emerged as a new psychoactive substance, being typically ingested in combination with fentanyl derivatives and hence raising significant public health concerns. Despite its increasing prevalence, little is known about its molecular interactions with human neuroreceptors, specifically the serotonin 7 (5‐HT 7 R) and...
Rivista di psichiatria
March 1, 2025
A. Sarni, Giovanni Martinotti, Giuseppe Maina et al.
The increasing prevalence of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) presents a significant challenge for both diagnosis and treatment, particularly due to the complex psychotic states they can induce. This paper explores the concept of lysergic psychoma, rooted in Bonhoeffer's exogenous psychosis model, and its relevance to modern substance-induced psychoses. Lysergic psychoma, characterized by...
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...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 8, 2025
Valerio Ricci, Domenico de Berardis, Sheikh Shoib et al.
4 citations
This study explores the psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) associated with recreational ketamine use among young adults. Ketamine, initially introduced as an anesthetic, is now widely used recreationally for its dissociative effects, raising concerns about its impact on mental health. Ten participants aged 18-24, who used ketamine recreationally multiple times a week, were assessed using the...
Current Neuropharmacology
2025
Gianluca Rosso, Giacomo d'Andrea, Stefano Barlati et al.
23 citations
Data on long-term treatment with Esketamine Nasal Spray (ESKNS) in real-world patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD) is scarce. The primary aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of ESK-NS treatment at 6 and 12-month follow-ups. This is part of an observational, retrospective, multicentric Italian study (REAL-ESK study). Subjects for the present study...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2025
Valerio Ricci, Maria Celeste Ciavarella, Carlotta Marrangone et al.
7 citations
Substance use and the emergence of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) present a significant public health challenge and diagnostic dilemma, particularly in the context of psychosis. The increasing availability of psychoactive substances among youth has led to a rise in Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), with profound implications for mental health. This paper explores the psychopathological...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2025
Miriam Olivola, Filippo Mazzoni, Barbara Tarantino et al.
7 citations
Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) remains a major challenge in the management of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Esketamine, the S-enantiomer of ketamine and a glutamatergic modulator, was approved by the FDA and EMA for TRD in 2019. Beyond its rapid antidepressant effects, esketamine may enhance neuroplasticity, facilitating the reconnection with emotional and cognitive processes,...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2025
Valerio Ricci, Domenico de Berardis, Giovanni Martinotti et al.
Cannabis use represents a significant environmental risk factor for psychotic disorders, with emerging evidence suggesting complex interactions between cannabinoid exposure, dissociative experiences, and fundamental disturbances of self-experience (self-disorders) in early psychosis. This systematic review examines the phenomenological and neurobiological relationships among dissociation,...
Journal of Affective Disorders
December 15, 2024
Giacomo d'Andrea, Andrea Miuli, Mauro Pettorruso et al.
6 citations
Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) affects almost 30 % of patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). 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 in combination with...
Rivista di psichiatria
November 1, 2024
Valerio Ricci, Domenico de Berardis, Giovanni Martinotti et al.
2 citations
BACKGROUND: Cannabis is the most used recreational drug worldwide. Its use can increase the risk of developing psychotic disorders and exacerbate their course. However, little is known about the relationship between psychosis and withdrawal and the literature is still scarce. CASE PRESENTATION: In this study, based on an analysis of 4 patients referred to our mental health department and...
Psychiatry International
October 15, 2024
Valerio Ricci, Giovanni Martinotti, Giuseppe Maina
9 citations
Substance-induced psychosis (SIP) is an increasingly prevalent and complex condition that presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. With the rising use of novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) and potent traditional compounds like cannabis and cocaine, particularly among adolescents and young adults, understanding the mechanisms and clinical manifestations of SIP has become...
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,...
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
September 1, 2024
Valerio Ricci, Giuseppe Maina, Gilberto Di Petta et al.
The psychopathological manifestations associated with substance use, including induced psychotic experiences, are increasingly relevant but not well-understood within the medical community. Novel psychoactive substances and potentiated old compounds like cannabis and cocaine have emerged as a global concern, especially among adolescents and young adults. Transition rates from substance-induced...
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
August 1, 2024
Valerio Ricci, Domenico De Berardis, Giovanni Martinotti et al.
Background: Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance. Numerous scientific evidence confirm the strong association between cannabis and psychosis. Exposure to cannabis can induce the development of psychosis and schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals. However, the neurobiological processes underlying this relationship are unknown. Neurotrophins are a class of proteins that serve as...
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
March 31, 2024
Maria Pepe, Marco Di Nicola, Fabrizio Cocciolillo et al.
6 citations
New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are modifying the drug scenario worldwide and have become a public health concern because of their toxicological profiles and their harmful physical/psychological effects. 3-Methoxy-Phencyclidine (3-MeO-PCP), a non-competitive antagonist of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, belongs to the phencyclidine-like subfamily of arylcyclohexylamines and...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
January 8, 2024
Valerio Ricci, Ilenia di Muzio, F. Ceci et al.
Background Natural Cannabis (NC) and Synthetic Cannabinoids (SCs) use can increase the risk and exacerbate the course of psychotic disorders. These could be influenced by the Aberrant Salience (AS) construct. It refers to an excess of attribution of meaning to stimuli that are otherwise regarded as neutral, thereby transform them into adverse, dangerous, or mysterious entities. This leads the...
Psychopathology
2024
Valerio Ricci, Giuseppe Maina, Giovanni Martinotti
11 citations
The term "dissociation" encompasses a wide array of symptoms and phenomena, all sharing the common characteristic of involving altered states of consciousness where an individual temporarily loses the sense of continuity of their own identity. In the context of addiction pathology, however, the dissociative paradigm remains a topic of ongoing debate. It fluctuates between the description of...