Supplement
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a psychedelic compound found in many plants that acts on serotonin signaling in the brain. Human studies found it produced intense, short-lasting psychedelic experiences, with visual hallucinations and deeply altered consciousness, and lab work pointed to the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor as the main driver, though the evidence is very limited. Hints of antidepressant effects came mostly from ayahuasca, which pairs DMT with another compound, and from animal or lab studies.
Sources: PMID 35349196
- Updated
- How we grade
- 1 study cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 0
- Outcomes
- 4
- Graded outcomes
- 0004
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-HT2A Receptor Modulation In vitro and preclinical studies demonstrate DMT is a potent agonist at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, the primary mediator of its psychedelic effects. A 2022 study developed a photomodulable DMT derivative to study receptor dynamics, confirming the centrality of 5-HT2A binding to DMT's pharmacological activity. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Large effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured 5-ht2a receptor modulation | ||||||
| Altered States of Consciousness Human studies confirm DMT produces intense, short-lasting psychedelic experiences including visual hallucinations and profoundly altered consciousness. Effects are mediated primarily through 5-HT2A serotonin receptor agonism. Duration varies by route: minutes when smoked/IV, hours when combined with MAO inhibitors (ayahuasca). | Improves (the measure goes up) | Large effect | ||||
| Depression Symptoms Very preliminary human and preclinical research suggests potential antidepressant effects of DMT and ayahuasca (DMT + MAO inhibitor). Most evidence comes from ayahuasca combination studies rather than isolated DMT. Research on treatment-resistant depression is ongoing but DMT-specific therapeutic evidence remains extremely limited. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | ||||
| Addiction and Substance Use Very early-stage research suggests potential for psychedelic-assisted approaches to addiction treatment. Evidence for DMT specifically is extremely limited; most relevant data comes from ayahuasca (DMT + MAO inhibitor combination) observational studies. This remains a speculative research area with no controlled DMT-specific trials for addiction. | Changes; see studies | Small effect | ||||
Key findings
- 5-HT2A Receptor ModulationImproves (the measure goes up)
- Altered States of ConsciousnessImproves (the measure goes up)
- Depression SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
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- Grade D
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Studies cited
1 study from PubMed