Addictions and New Psychoactive Substances
Addictions include substance use disorders (alcohol, cocaine, opioids, and others) and behavioral addictions (such as pathological gambling). New psychoactive substances (NPS) are a constantly evolving group of synthetic molecules that mimic the effects of traditional drugs, posing unprecedented challenges to clinical practice and public health.
The study of addictions and new psychoactive substances is one of Prof. Giovanni Martinotti’s main research areas, to which he has devoted a substantial part of his scientific work.
Prof. Martinotti’s research
“In the field of addictions, clinical activity and research focus on the study of substance use disorders, new therapeutic approaches, and the phenomenon of new psychoactive substances, with particular attention to their clinical and psychopathological characteristics.”
Prof. Martinotti is among the leading Italian researchers in the study of new psychoactive substances, with a long research record on substance use disorders and behavioral addictions.
Substance use disorders
These include addictions to alcohol, cocaine, opioids, and other substances. Prof. Martinotti’s research studies their clinical and neurobiological aspects and their pharmacological treatments, including innovative approaches such as brain stimulation applied to addiction.
Behavioral addictions
Not all addictions involve a substance: pathological gambling and other compulsive behaviors share mechanisms similar to those of substance addictions. This is an area in which Prof. Martinotti has conducted specific studies, including in the youth population.
New psychoactive substances (NPS)
These are constantly evolving synthetic molecules — synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, and others — that often evade regulations and conventional toxicological tests. They represent an emerging challenge for clinical practice, and their study is one of the distinctive strands of Prof. Martinotti’s research.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What are new psychoactive substances (NPS)?
A. They are synthetic substances created to reproduce the effects of traditional drugs, often circumventing existing regulations. They are numerous and constantly evolving, which makes them difficult to detect and to treat.
Q. Are behavioral addictions real addictions?
A. Yes. Behaviors such as pathological gambling share neurobiological and clinical mechanisms similar to those of substance addictions, and are studied and treated as such.
Q. Can addictions be treated?
A. Addictions are complex but treatable conditions: there are therapeutic pathways, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, and research is expanding the available options, including through innovative approaches.
Q. Why are new psychoactive substances so dangerous?
A. Because they change continuously, are often not detected by common toxicological tests, and have unpredictable effects: this makes them particularly insidious both for those who use them and for those who have to treat their consequences.
D. Altra domanda
Related publications
2-4 tra i suoi lavori più rilevanti su dipendenze e NPS.
Related media
eventuali interventi/interviste sul tema dipendenze, gioco d’azzardo o nuove droghe (RAI, ecc.).
Other research areas: Treatment-Resistant Depression and Innovative Therapies · Psychedelics in Psychiatry