Ayahuasca, a traditional psychoactive Amazonian brew, usually contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and β-carboline (harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) monoamine oxidase inhibitors. However, the pharmacological interactions between these compounds remain incompletely understood. In this study, we developed an ayahuasca-inspired formulation containing DMT and harmine, aiming to...
Susac syndrome is a rare autoimmune endotheliopathy that affects the central nervous system, retina, and inner ear, characterized by encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusions, and sensorineural hearing loss. Due to the heterogeneity of its presentation, early diagnosis, and treatment remain challenging. To evaluate the clinical outcomes and radiological responses in two patients with...
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a naturally occurring psychedelic tryptamine contained in the indigenous ayahuasca brew, has shown antidepressant effects. This open-label clinical trial investigates for the first time the efficacy of vaporized DMT in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Six TRD patients participated in an open-label, fixed-order, dose-escalation study, receiving a lower (15 mg)...
It is unclear whether hallucinogenic tryptamine derivatives namely N,N-dimethyl-tryptamine (DMT) and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyl-tryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) exert positive inotropic effects in the human heart. Therefore, we measured the inotropic effects of these drugs in isolated left and right atrial preparations of mice that overexpress human 5-HT4 receptors (5-HT4-TG) and preparations from wild type...
The durability of ayahuasca's effects on mental health and the influence of clinical diagnoses on therapeutic response is unclear. Adults with no prior exposure to ayahuasca (n = 66) participating in neo-shamanic ayahuasca ceremonies completed questionnaires at baseline, 7 days, and 1, 6, and 12 months. Mixed models were used to characterize temporal trajectories in mental health, alcohol and...
An interesting aspect of entity encounters during psychedelic experiences is their ability to transform one's religious beliefs. However, little is known about sex differences in these transformations. This study investigates sex differences in changes in religious beliefs before and after an entity encounter among ayahuasca users. Data were collected via an anonymous Internet-based survey (N =...
ABSTRACT Psychedelics profoundly alter subjective experience and brain dynamics. Brain oscillations express signatures of near-critical dynamics, relevant for healthy function. Alterations in the proximity to criticality have been suggested to underlie the experiential and neurological effects of psychedelics. Here, we investigate the effects of a psychedelic substance (DMT) on the criticality...
After a long period of obscurantism, a possible role of psychedelics in clinical practice has progressively become a tangible perspective during the last two decades. However, the resounding enthusiasm linked to such 'psychedelic renaissance' runs the risk to unduly minimize the possible hazards associated with these compounds, while expanding their alleged benefits to improbable panacea-like...
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is currently being studied for its therapeutic potential in various psychiatric disorders. An understanding of its pharmacokinetics (PK) is essential to determine appropriate dose ranges in future clinical studies. We conducted a systematic literature review on the PK of DMT. Clinical studies that administered known amounts of DMT and reported PK data and/or...
This article reports on the discovery of a recurring visual phenomenon observed by individuals under the influence of exogenous N,N- Dimethyltryptamine (N,N- DMT) when observing a diffracted light pattern generated by a collimated 650 nm laser. Using a structured protocol, a pilot study revealed consistent descriptions of coherent geometric structures and symbols resembling "code." This report...
Explore2025João Francisco Pollo Gaspary, Alfred Lee Edgar, Fernanda Peron Gaspary et al.
Ancestral healing rituals have long been embedded in cultural traditions as symbolic practices. However, emerging evidence suggests these rituals may act as structured behavioral interventions capable of eliciting adaptive physiological responses. This study proposes a translational reinterpretation of ancestral healing rituals through the lens of contemporary redox biology, systems physiology,...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE\nMETHODS\nRESULTS\nCONCLUSION\nN,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is currently being studied for its therapeutic potential in various psychiatric disorders. An understanding of its pharmacokinetics (PK) is essential to determine appropriate dose ranges in future clinical studies. We conducted a systematic literature review on the PK of DMT.\nClinical studies that administered...
Ayahuasca is a psychotropic beverage from South America, derived from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis. The beverage contains alkaloids such as β-carbolines and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which alter the psychoactive functions associated with perception and thought processes. Its consumption in the countries of origin, such as Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, is prevalent. Its use has been...
PolDrugs is a biennial epidemiological study aimed at analyzing patterns of mostly illicit psychoactive substance use in Poland in the context of psychiatry and harm reduction. This survey was held for the third time, and its results were compared to the last two editions. The survey was conducted as an online survey with 37 closed-ended single-choice questions and 3 multiple-choice questions....
Human neuroimaging with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging has been a key feature of the current wave of psychedelic research, in both healthy and clinical populations. The available data has suggested that classic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, DMT) have a characteristic effect of acutely and profoundly disrupting the normal pattern of resting-state connectivity in the human brain, and that...
This paper explores the therapeutic potential of DMT in neuroprotective strategies, particularly concerning ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and neurodegenerative disorders. Besides its potent serotonin receptor actions, DMT is also an endogenous agonist of the sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R). Sigma receptors are a unique family of proteins with high expression in the brain and spinal cord and have...
A three-item Peak Experience Scale (PES) was developed to rapidly evaluate the strength of the psychoactive experience, and to guide the dosing regimen, of the psychedelic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT; mebufotenin). This paper aims to compare the PES with a range of established questionnaires designed to evaluate the psychedelic experience. Data were gathered from three separate...
Serotonergic psychedelics have potential therapeutic effects in treating anxiety and mood disorders, often after a single dose, and are suggested to have plasticity-inducing action. However, a comprehensive mechanism of action is still lacking. Here, we investigated how a single dose of the short-acting 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) acts on gene expression from microdissected...
Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) is an increasingly prevalent disorder affecting millions of Americans each year. Psychedelic compounds have recently been investigated for their therapeutic potential in treating substance use disorders, yet no prior work has examined the relationship between naturalistic use of specific psychedelic compounds and rates of disordered cannabis use. Using a nationally...
Unlike classical antidepressants, psychedelics such as psilocybin have been shown to induce a rapid antidepressant response. In the wake of this development, interest has emerged in ultra-fast, short-acting psychedelics such as 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) with the expectation that these can produce rapid antidepressant effects following an...