Translational Psychiatry
May 23, 2023
Severin B Vogt, Laura Ley, Livio Erne et al.
85 citations
Intravenous DMT can produce a psychedelic state that is short-lasting and controllable. A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial with 27 healthy participants tested five DMT regimens: low infusion (0.6 mg/min), high infusion (1 mg/min), low bolus plus low infusion (15 mg + 0.6 mg/min), and high bolus plus high infusion (25 mg + 1 mg/min). Bolus doses induced very intense effects within 2 minutes, with more negative feelings and anxiety than infusions. Infusions produced slowly increasing, dose-dependent effects that plateaued after 30 minutes. All effects subsided within 15 minutes of stopping the infusion. Acute tolerance developed, with stable subjective effects from 30 to 90 minutes despite rising plasma concentrations. Intravenous DMT infusion is a promising tool for tailored psychedelic therapy.
Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
December 15, 2022
Dino Luethi, Karolina E. Kolaczynska, Severin B Vogt et al.
24 citations
A new LC-MS/MS method accurately measures the psychedelic compound DMT and its major metabolites IAA and DMT-NO in human plasma. The assay uses a simple protein precipitation step, a pentafluorophenyl column for separation, and detects analytes via mass spectrometry. Calibration ranges cover 0.25–250 ng/mL for DMT, 0.1–100 ng/mL for DMT-NO, and 25–25,000 ng/mL for IAA (using a labeled internal standard to account for endogenous IAA). Accuracy ranged from 93% to 113% with precision ≤11%. The method successfully determined pharmacokinetic parameters in participants receiving a 90-minute intravenous infusion of 1 mg/min DMT. It is easy to use, has a short run time, and is suitable for clinical DMT pharmacokinetic and metabolism studies.
Neuropsychopharmacology
December 19, 2024
Livio Erne, Severin B Vogt, Lorenz Müller et al.
14 citations
Continuous intravenous infusions of DMT produce dose-dependent subjective effects that plateau after 30 minutes, with a ceiling effect for good drug effect at 1.8 mg/min. The highest dose tested (2.4 mg/min) caused greater anxious ego dissolution and significant anxiety compared to placebo. DMT showed dose-proportional pharmacokinetics and moderate acute tolerance. When participants could self-titrate their dose, they chose moderate to strong psychedelic effects comparable to the 1.8 mg/min rate. These findings can guide dose selection in future DMT research and show that subjective effects can be rapidly adjusted through dose titration.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
December 26, 2025
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Yasmin Schmid et al.
5 citations
A psychometric revalidation of the Altered States of Consciousness Scale (ASC) using data from 901 questionnaires across 16 psychedelic studies (with LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT) shows that ten of the eleven subscales can be grouped into three higher-order dimensions—Positive Effects, Distressing Effects, and Perceptual Effects—mirroring the original three-dimensional model but with improved statistical fit. The Anxiety subscale could not be integrated due to floor effects (low anxiety in the sample) but is retained for clinical relevance. The revised scale, 3D-ASCr, is recommended for use with classic serotonergic psychedelics.
Psychopharmacology
March 26, 2025
Laura Ley, Matthias E. Liechti, Anna M Becker et al.
3 citations
Healthy volunteers enroll in psychedelic trials primarily out of interest in the substances and the appeal of the study setting, hoping for personal development and transformative experiences. In a series of six double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving 151 participants, positive experiences were promoted by music, access to nature, and a trusting relationship with the investigator. A sterile hospital environment, lack of investigator support, and investigator-induced discomfort were criticized. Most volunteers felt their expectations were exceeded and would take the substances again, ideally in a natural setting with friends. Four key factors for positive study experiences are a secure interpersonal relationship, an aesthetically pleasing environment, access to nature, and music.
Biomedical chromatography : BMC
September 1, 2025
Jan Thomann, Selina Kraus, Livio Erne et al.
1 citation
A new liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method accurately measures ketamine and its metabolites norketamine, dehydronorketamine (DHNK), and (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine (HNK) in human plasma. The method uses a small sample volume, a simple protein precipitation step, and a fast run time. Linear quantification ranges were 1-1,000 ng/mL for ketamine and norketamine, 0.25-100 ng/mL for DHNK, and 2.5-1,000 ng/mL for (2R,6R)-HNK. The method showed high accuracy, precision, selectivity, and sensitivity, with consistent matrix effects and efficient extraction recovery. It was successfully applied to assess pharmacokinetics in six clinical trial participants, offering a robust approach for clinical studies, drug monitoring, and forensic investigations.
Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
March 1, 2025
Joep J. J. Ouwerkerk, David M Wood, Alison M. Dines et al.
1 citation
When 3,4-methylenedioxymetamfetamine (MDMA) is taken with alcohol, emergency department visits show higher odds of agitation, drowsiness, and vomiting compared to MDMA alone. Co-intoxication with other substances increases odds of bradycardia, psychosis, and coma. Mortality rates remain low across all groups. Female patients report less chest pain but more vomiting, headache, and hypotension than males. These variations suggest that physicians should consider both the type of co-intoxication and patient sex to optimize treatment.
International review of neurobiology
January 1, 2025
Severin B Vogt, Matthias E. Liechti
1 citation
Serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT produce comparable acute subjective and somatic effects primarily through interactions with 5-HT2A receptors, but their exact therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. These classic psychedelics differ substantially in pharmacokinetics and metabolism, leading to different durations of action that may influence their suitability for specific therapeutic uses. MDMA has a distinct psychopharmacological profile with stimulant-like and empathogenic effects. Acute effects of psychedelics mirror their plasma-concentration-time curves, whereas MDMA's acute effects are shorter-lasting than its presence in the body, and MDMA exhibits marked acute pharmacological tolerance.
Religion Brain & Behavior
March 31, 2026
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
After administration of LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, or DMT, mystical oneness—the core of mystical experience—showed dose-sensitive strong correlations with luminous light and renewal, and a moderate-to-strong correlation with ego disintegration. These findings from 386 healthy participants across 15 studies support a broader, dynamic model of mystical experience, where mystical oneness unfolds with ego disintegration, renewal, and luminous light. The results offer insights for psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Translational Psychiatry
March 27, 2026
Livio Erne, Lorenz Mueller, Isabelle Straumann et al.
Bolus injections of DMT produce very strong subjective effects that peak within 2 minutes and subside completely within 12–30 minutes, consistent with a short elimination half-life of about 6–7 minutes. A ceiling effect for peak subjective effects occurred at the 15 mg dose, and no tolerance developed to the acute effects. Tolerability markedly improved when doses were escalated openly rather than given double-blind, and at equivalent doses the subjective effects were rated as less intense. These results indicate that blinding and expectancy influence the subjective experience and that individual dose-escalation may improve tolerability and guide dose selection in future DMT studies.
Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)
January 1, 2026
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
Mystical oneness after psychedelics is linked to ego disintegration, renewal, and luminous light, and these connections intensify with higher doses. Analyzing 816 measurements from 386 healthy participants given LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, or DMT across 15 studies, researchers found dose-sensitive strong correlations between mystical oneness and luminous light and renewal, and a moderate-to-strong correlation with ego disintegration. The results support a dynamic model of mystical experience and suggest relevance for psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Repository for Publications and Research Data
January 1, 2025
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Schmid, Yasmin et al.
The Altered States of Consciousness Scale (ASC), commonly used in psychedelic research, has two incompatible scoring systems: a three-dimensional model (3D-ASC) and an eleven-subscale model (11-ASC). Analyzing data from 901 questionnaires across 16 psychedelic studies, researchers found that ten of the eleven subscales could be reorganized into three higher-order dimensions—Positive, Distressing, and Perceptual effects—that closely mirror the original three dimensions but with improved statistical fit. This revised version, called the 3D-ASCr, retains the Anxiety subscale separately due to floor effects. The 3D-ASCr is recommended for use with classic serotonergic psychedelics in clinical practice and research.