This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n=60) will study the effects of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) on drinking behaviour and neuroplasticity in hazardous and harmful alcohol drinkers (AUD) who are not currently seeking treatment.
The study, called Understanding Neuroplasticity Induced by TrYptamines (UNITy), is being conducted by researchers at University College London from October 2020 to December 2027. It aims to assess how DMT might alter brain connectivity and modify memory associations related to drinking, potentially leading to reduced alcohol consumption.
Participants will undergo three in-person visits over two weeks, followed by remote follow-ups over nine months. The protocol includes questionnaires, cognitive tests, brain imaging (MRI and EEG), and an intravenous DMT infusion. Researchers will measure changes in drinking behaviour, mood, and brain activity. The study may provide insights into the mechanisms of psychedelic drugs and their potential role in treating substance use disorders.
Participants must be healthy adults aged 21-65 who are hazardous or harmful drinkers but not currently in treatment. Strict eligibility criteria are in place to ensure participant safety due to the potent effects of DMT.
Trial Details
Excessive drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents a global and highly costly healthcare burden. Current treatments are not effective for a large portion of people and there are relatively few treatment options to help people reduce their drinking when first-line options fail. Recently, there has been significant interest in the potential of psychedelic drugs in various mental health disorders, including alcohol and substance use disorders. Despite some promising findings, we still have very little rigorous experimental data on exactly how psychedelic drugs might produce positive changes in mental health and behaviour. One theory suggests that these drugs might alter the connectivity between key brain regions, better allowing people to modify their memory associations around drinking, drinking-related thoughts and behaviours. Researchers aim to thoroughly assess these and other candidate mechanisms to deepen our understanding of the effects of psychedelic drugs and their potential role in the treatment of substance use disorders. They will do this in a randomised experimental study with a short-acting psychedelic drug called dimethyltryptamine (DMT). They will use questionnaires, cognitive tests and different types of brain imaging to comprehensively understand the impact of DMT on the brain and drinking behaviour. The results of this study may, in the future, lead to improved therapies for mental health disorders such as addiction.NCT Number ISRCTN13970288