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Psychological and physiological effects of extended DMT.

Lisa Luan, Emma Eckernäs, Michael Ashton, Fernando E. Rosas, Malin V. Uthaug, Alexander Bartha, Samantha Jagger, Kiara Gascon-Perai, Lauren Gomes, David Nutt, David Erritzøe, Robin Carhart-Harris, Christopher Timmermann

Journal of Psychopharmacology 2024 DOI: 10.1177/02698811231196877 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Within-subjects, placebo-controlled study Peer reviewed
Sample size 11
Population Healthy volunteers (seven male, four female, mean age 37.09 years)
Intervention DMT
Dose four dose regimens consisting of a bolus loading dose and a slow-rate infusion
Duration 30-minute infusion period
Topics Ayahuasca DMT Serotonin
Keywords Psychedelics Consciousness research Neuropharmacology DMT Studies Serotonergic compounds
Citations 41
Key points Continuous IV DMT administration via bolus and infusion safely extends the experience for 30 minutes with stable subjective effects and low anxiety, while rising plasma concentrations suggest acute psychological tolerance.

Abstract

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a serotonergic psychedelic that induces a rapid and transient altered state of consciousness when inhaled or injected via bolus administration. Its marked and novel subjective effects make DMT a powerful tool for the neuroscientific study of consciousness and preliminary results show its potential role in treating mental health conditions. In a within-subjects, placebo-controlled study, we investigated a novel method of DMT administration involving a bolus injection paired with a constant-rate infusion, with the goal of extending the DMT experience. Pharmacokinetic parameters of DMT estimated from plasma data of a previous study of bolus intravenous DMT were used to derive dose regimens necessary to keep subjects in steady levels of immersion into the DMT experience over an extended period of 30 min, and four dose regimens consisting of a bolus loading dose and a slow-rate infusion were tested in eleven healthy volunteers (seven male, four female, mean age ± SD = 37.09 ± 8.93 years). The present method is effective for extending the DMT experience in a stable and tolerable fashion. While subjective effects were maintained over the period of active infusion, anxiety ratings remained low and heart rate habituated within 15 min, indicating psychological and physiological safety of extended DMT. Plasma DMT concentrations increased consistently starting 10 min into DMT administration, whereas psychological effects plateaued into the desired steady state, suggesting the development of acute psychological tolerance to DMT. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of continuous IV DMT administration, laying the groundwork for the further development of this method of administration for basic and clinical research.

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

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Ayahuasca DMT Serotonin 5-MeO-DMT Altered states of consciousness Anxiety Philosophy of mind