Mammalian brain may contain an endogenous pool of the psychedelic substance N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which may act as a co-transmitter with serotonin (5-HT). We tested the joint hypotheses. We tested the joint hypotheses that endogenous DMT would accumulate in rat brain after inhibiting monoamine oxidase with pargyline, whereas its acidic metabolite 3-indoleacetic acid (3-IAA) would...
Mammalian brain may contain an endogenous pool of the psychedelic substance N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which may act as a co-transmitter with serotonin (5-HT). We tested the joint hypotheses. We tested the joint hypotheses that endogenous DMT would accumulate in rat brain after inhibiting monoamine oxidase with pargyline, whereas its acidic metabolite 3-indoleacetic acid (3-IAA) would...
5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a serotonin receptor agonist, in clinical development for the treatment of major depression and other psychiatric disorders. A critical safety concern for serotonergic compounds is their potential to induce seizures, as a severe manifestation of serotonin toxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the seizure liability of 5-MeO-DMT in a...
N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a fast-acting psychedelic drug that induces a radical reorganization of conscious contents and brain dynamics. However, our understanding of how brain dynamics support psychedelic-induced conscious states remains unclear. We therefore present a repeated-measures dose-dependent study of the subjective and neural dynamics induced through DMT under naturalistic...
January 8, 2026Michael Esposito, Ana M Ortiz Bernal, Alan K. Davis et al.
preprint
Clinical trials using 5-MeO-DMT to treat various mental health conditions are currently underway, however research on 5-MeO-DMT use in humans is limited. To date, no scoping review of the published, peer-reviewed literature exists. The purpose of the present analysis is to examine the extent, range, and nature of peer-reviewed research on the use of 5-MeO-DMT in humans and, ultimately, to...
Psychedelics lead to profound changes in subjective experience and behaviour, which are typically conceptualised in psychological terms rather than corresponding to an altered brain state or a distinct state of vigilance. Here, we performed chronic electrophysiological recordings from the neocortex concomitant with pupillometry in freely moving adult male mice following an injection of a...
Classical psychedelics such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) modulate consciousness via serotonergic receptor agonism, and are increasingly investigated for their psychotherapeutic potential. When combined with the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitor harmine—mimicking the pharmacological profile of ayahuasca—oral DMT induces a psychedelic experience lasting 4–5 h. While some neuroimaging...
N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a fast-acting psychedelic drug that induces a radical reorganization of conscious contents and brain dynamics. However, our understanding of how brain dynamics support psychedelic-induced conscious states remains unclear. We therefore present a repeated-measures dose-dependent study of the subjective and neural dynamics induced through DMT under naturalistic...
Reward processing is a broad psychological construct that can be parsed into distinct components known as "reinforcement learning" (learning), "reward responsiveness" (liking), and "motivation to obtain a reward" (wanting). Dysfunctions in reward processing in mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways are a core feature of many pathologies. Psychedelics have been proposed as a treatment option for...
Abstract Classic serotonergic psychedelics are potent modulators of conscious awareness, yet the principles governing their effects on the temporal dynamics of brain activity remain unclear. Dominant theories propose that psychedelics increase the signal diversity and metastability of neural states, but whether this reflects a simple randomization of activity or a more structured reorganization...