Transient destabilization of whole brain dynamics induced by N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT).
Juan Ignacio Piccinini, Yonatan Sanz Perl, Carla Pallavicini, Gustavo Deco, Morten L. Kringelbach, David Nutt, Robin Carhart-Harris, Christopher Timmermann, Enzo Tagliazucchi
Communications Biology March 11, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-07576-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study with computational modeling Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Human volunteers under intravenous DMT |
| Interventions | N N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) |
| Dose | 20 mg intravenous |
| Topics | DMT 5-MeO-DMT |
| Keywords | Brain chemistry Consciousness research Psychedelics |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | A transient of heightened reactivity in fronto-parietal and visual regions correlates with serotonin 5HT2a receptor density, suggesting minimal perturbations can achieve maximal effects during the psychedelic state. |
Abstract
The transition towards the brain state induced by psychedelic drugs is frequently neglected in favor of a static description of their acute effects. We use a time-dependent whole-brain model to reproduce large-scale brain dynamics measured with fMRI from 15 volunteers under 20 mg intravenous N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a short-acting psychedelic. To capture its transient effects, we parametrize the proximity to a global bifurcation using a pharmacokinetic equation. Simulated perturbations reveal a transient of heightened reactivity concentrated in fronto-parietal regions and visual cortices, correlated with serotonin 5HT2a receptor density, the primary target of psychedelics. These advances suggest a mechanism to explain key features of the psychedelic state and also predicts that the temporal evolution of these features aligns with pharmacokinetics. Our results contribute to understanding how psychedelics introduce a transient where minimal perturbations can achieve a maximal effect, shedding light on how short psychedelic episodes may extend an overarching influence over time.