Skip to content

Effects of DMT on mental health outcomes in healthy volunteers

Christopher Timmermann, Richard J. Zeifman, David Erritzøe, David Nutt, Robin Carhart-Harris

Scientific Reports February 7, 2024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53363-y (opens in new tab)

Read Full Text
Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Placebo-controlled comparison and prospective dataset Peer reviewed
Sample size 30
Population Healthy volunteers
Intervention N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
Dose 7, 14, 18, and 20 mg
Duration 1-2 weeks post-administration
Topics DMT
Keywords Psychedelics Mental health treatment DMT Research Clinical trials Therapeutic compounds
Citations 37
Key points Intravenous DMT significantly reduced depression scores one to two weeks after administration, with changes linked to the intensity of acute peak experiences.

Abstract

Abstract Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, is being increasingly researched in clinical studies for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The relatively lengthy duration of oral psilocybin’s acute effects (4–6 h) may have pragmatic and cost-effectiveness limitations. Here, we explored the effects of intravenous (IV) N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a closely related, but faster-acting psychedelic intervention, on mental health outcomes in healthy volunteers. Data is reported from two separate analyses: (1) A comparison of mental health-related variables 1 week after 7, 14, 18, and 20 mg of IV DMT versus IV saline placebo (n = 13) and, (2) A prospective dataset assessing effects before versus 2 weeks after 20 mg of IV DMT (n = 17). Mental health outcomes included measures of depression severity (QIDS-SR16), trait anxiety (STAI-T), Neuroticism (NEO-FFI), wellbeing (WHO-5), meaning in life (MLQ), optimism (LOT-R), and gratitude (GQ-6). In both the prospective and placebo-controlled datasets, significant improvements in scores of depression were found 1–2 weeks after DMT administration. Significant reductions in trait Neuroticism were only found for the placebo-controlled sample. Finally, changes in depression and trait anxiety correlated with acute peak experiences (assessed via ‘Oceanic Boundlessness’). While the use of two separate cohorts in pooled analysis limits the generalizability of these correlational findings, these results suggest that DMT may reduce depressive symptomatology by inducing peak experiences. The short half-life of IV DMT and its potential for flexible dosing via controlled infusions makes it an appealing candidate for psychedelic medicine. Further research in clinical samples is needed to corroborate the therapeutic potential of DMT.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on DMT, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans Experienced hallucinogen users 1994 Double-blind, saline placebo-controlled, randomized study n = 12
DMT Models the Near-Death Experience Healthy participants 2018 Within-subjects placebo-controlled study n = 13
Human brain effects of DMT assessed via EEG-fMRI. Healthy volunteers 2023 Within-subjects, placebo-controlled design n = 20
Psychological Effects of (S)-Ketamine and N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): A Double-Blind, Cross-Over Study in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers 2005 Double-blind crossover study n = 9
Differential tolerance to biological and subjective effects of four closely spaced doses of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in humans Experienced hallucinogen users 1996 Randomized controlled trial n = 13

Citations in the library

Cited by 32

and 27 more in the library

Cites 67

and 62 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

DMT 5-MeO-DMT Anxiety Depression Mystical experience Psilocybin Serotonin