AUTHOR=Tamburin Stefano , Mantovani Elisa , Bertoldi Anna , Federico Angela , Casari Rebecca , Lugoboni Fabio 

TITLE=High-Dose Dependence and Cognitive Side Effects to Medical Prescription of Etizolam

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.601827

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2020.601827

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Introduction:</bold> The use of novel designer drugs has increased worldwide over the years. Etizolam is a designer benzodiazepine (BZD) that has raised concern because of its growing non-medical use, liability to tolerance and dependence, and related harms. Studies exploring the abuse liability and cognitive effects of etizolam outside the therapeutic doses are lacking.</p><p><bold>Aims:</bold> To explore the abuse liability of etizolam and the characteristics of patients affected by etizolam high-dose dependence in a nationwide tertiary referral addiction unit. To document the cognitive changes to etizolam high-dose use.</p><p><bold>Design and Methods:</bold> Sociodemographic and clinical data on subjects with etizolam high-dose use were retrospectively collected from a database of 1,293 patients consecutively admitted to the Addiction Medicine Unit, Verona University Hospital, Italy for detoxification from high-dose BZDs or Z-drugs dependence. Thorough neuropsychological testing explored the cognitive side effects of high-dose etizolam use.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> We found eleven etizolam high-dose users, of which eight used etizolam only, and three used etizolam with other BZDs/zolpidem. All the patients were prescribed etizolam for medical reasons, i.e., anxiety and/or insomnia. Neuropsychological evaluation showed deficits of working memory, visuospatial memory and executive function in a 27-year-old woman who used etizolam 15 mg daily.</p><p><bold>Discussion:</bold> Our findings suggest that abuse and dependence liability of etizolam should be considered a public health and social problem. They offer preliminary evidence on the cognitive side effects of etizolam high-dose use.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> This report offers new information on the potential harms of etizolam in patients who are prescribed this drug for medical reasons.</p>