title: Use of benzylglycinamide by a HIV-seropositive polysubstance user: The changing pattern of novel psychoactive substance use among youths.
abstract: A 24-year old woman with multisubstance use since the age of 13, including opioids and cocaine, and long-standing HIV/HCV seropositivity status, presented with psychosis, agitation, and insomnia at the emergency department of a university hospital. She had been abusive and physically aggressive frequently without specific reasons and was involved in criminal legal cases. She was hospitalized twice. During her first hospital stay she experienced a brief episode of detachment from her environment, similar to episodes reportedly suffered at home. Psychosis had developed following heavy polysubstance abuse. Her mother provided sachets containing benzylglycinamide, a substance with no known psychotropic effects, which were also present in the patient's urine. She was occasionally positive for cannabinoids. She used to buy various novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) from the internet and used experimentally various substances freely made available to her by drug suppliers/dealers. She was unable to explain clearly why she was taking any of the identified NPS. She stated she was taking benzylglycinamide to calm her when smoking synthetic cannabinoids. While it appears that benzylglycinamide is not likely to constitute a novel drug of abuse, her polysubstance use exemplifies trends in NPS use patterns among the youths in the Western world and should alert mental health workers as to the possible dangers of such behavior and its reflection on social behavior and psychopathology.
authors.affiliation: NESMOS (Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy; Villa von Siebenthal Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Genzano di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caloro
authors.affiliation: NESMOS (Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calabrò
authors.affiliation: NESMOS (Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: giorgio.kotzalidis@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Georgios D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kotzalidis
authors.affiliation: NESMOS (Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy; Villa von Siebenthal Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Genzano di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Corkery
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, G. Marconi University - Rome, Italy; Addictions' Observatory (ODDPSS) - Rome, Italy; Mental Health Department ASL RM C - Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro Emiliano
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Vento
authors.affiliation: DiMA (Advanced Molecular Diagnosis) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lionetto
authors.affiliation: NESMOS (Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy; Villa von Siebenthal Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Genzano di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Filippis
authors.affiliation: NESMOS (Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy; Villa von Siebenthal Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Genzano di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ranieri
authors.affiliation: Pavia Poison Control Centre, National Toxicology Information Centre and Clinico-toxicological Coordinating Centre of the National Early Warning System, IRCCS Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lonati
authors.affiliation: Pavia Poison Control Centre, National Toxicology Information Centre and Clinico-toxicological Coordinating Centre of the National Early Warning System, IRCCS Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo Alessandro
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.affiliation: NESMOS (Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Pisa
authors.affiliation: Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Tommaso
authors.affiliation: NESMOS (Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Sapienza University-Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schifano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D007558:Italy; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068882:Paliperidone Palmitate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011395:Promazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000652:urine; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D013287:Illicit Drugs; C018556:glycine amide; D008140:Lorazepam; D011395:Promazine; D000068882:Paliperidone Palmitate; D005998:Glycine
keywords: Benzylglycinamide; Drug abuse; Drug-induced psychosis; HCV infection; HIV infection; New psychoactive substances