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A single dose of psychedelics significantly reduced symptoms in people with major depressive disorder, a new study found.
The clinical trial was led by researchers at Imperial College London, where the team found that participants with depression who took the psychedelic dimethyltryptamine (DMT) had greater reductions in the severity of their condition compared to those who took a placebo.
DMT is a naturally occurring psychedelic, similar to compounds found in “magic mushrooms” and serotonin, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation. It is known to produce brief and intense hallucinations.
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The compound, which is found in a variety of plants and animals, is the psychoactive ingredient in the drug ayahuasca, the above source stated.
To prepare ayahuasca, a plant containing DMT is boiled with another plant that contains a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), such as harmaline, and the resulting brew is then consumed.
DMT, which is found in a variety of plants and animals, is the psychoactive ingredient in the drug ayahuasca. (iStock)
Over the last decade, studies have hinted at DMT’s potential as a treatment for depression, but there haven’t been many placebo-controlled clinical trials.
“DMT probably works for depression by taking you out of your downhill spiral while at the same time altering brain chemistry in a way to promote the release of hormones, especially serotonin, but also dopamine,” Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst, who was not involved in the study, told Digital.
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Thirty-four patients with moderate to severe depression and a history of at least two unsuccessful treatments were enrolled in the new trial. Half the patients received a single intravenous placebo over 10 minutes, while the other half received a 21.5 mg dose of DMT.
Severity of symptoms was measured before and after treatment using a standardized questionnaire called the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the press release stated.
Patients were supported through various therapeutic approaches during the trial. (iStock)
Two weeks after the initial dose, the DMT group showed less severity of symptoms compared to the placebo group. Six months later, some participants reported that the antidepressant effects were still present.
“These results nicely add to the growing body of evidence for great potential of psychedelic therapies in mental health disorders,” said David Erritzoe, PhD, lead study author at Imperial College London, in the release. The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
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No serious adverse events were reported, although there were some limitations. There was a lack of ethnic diversity in the study, and participants with a history of serious suicide attempts were excluded, the researchers noted.
“It does not appear to be addictive,” Siegel said of DMT. “The problem is that many people are microdosing ayahuasca, and I am against that because it has unpredictable responses.”
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The researchers also noted that DMT’s efficacy seems to be dependent on the intensity of the actual psychedelic experience it generates, which varies from person to person.
“This is a trial that sits in the early phase of specifically developing DMT therapy for depression, so larger trials are required as next steps,” Erritzoe told Digital.
The lead researcher suggests that while DMT still has a ways to go before being a widely available treatment, ketamine therapy is a more accessible method to look into. (iStock)
Erritzoe noted that it’s currently difficult to access DMT treatments outside trials because research is still ongoing.
“For people who suffer depression and haven’t had sufficient improvements from existing treatments, ketamine-assisted therapy, done in a thoughtful way with good therapists involved, is a great alternative while the next line of treatments are being further tested and considered for regulatory approval,” he said.
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The evidence for ketamine-assisted therapy’s potential effectiveness for depression is much larger than DMT’s, the researcher noted.
There isn’t much regulation surrounding how ketamine treatments are administered, Dr. Justin Gerstner, psychiatrist and chief medical officer at Ellie Mental Health in Minnesota, previously told Digital, since the drug was initially approved for anesthetic use.
Some of the risks of ketamine include elevated blood pressure, difficulty breathing, amnesia, seizures, addiction, problems with judgment and coordination, and a lower urinary tract irritation called ulcerative cystitis, according to the American Addiction Centers website. (iStock)
“The field is wide open, and it’s a little bit like the Wild West,” he said. “This is a really powerful medication, and the way that it’s used can vary quite drastically.”
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At high doses, the drug can cause adverse health issues that affect cardiovascular, respiratory and neurologic function, which can be fatal, as stated on the American Addiction Centers website.
