Pioneering DMT Trial Aims to Combat Alcohol Addiction

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A groundbreaking clinical trial is underway at University College London (UCL) testing the psychedelic substance dimethyltryptamine (DMT) as a potential treatment for alcohol addiction. DMT is the active component in ayahuasca, a traditional hallucinogenic brew utilized in healing ceremonies by Indigenous groups in the Amazon for centuries.

Researchers are investigating whether a single dose of this powerful psychedelic can assist hazardous drinkers in reducing their alcohol consumption. Current therapies for alcohol addiction often have limited effectiveness, with studies showing that around 50% of individuals relapse within three months after treatment.

Professor Ravi Das, who is co-leading the trial, emphasized the urgent need for alternative treatment approaches, noting that the methods for addressing alcohol addiction have remained largely unchanged for decades. "To the extent that DMT might provide a more effective treatment approach, it is worth exploring," he stated.

The trial, which involves 120 participants, aims to measure the effects of DMT through advanced brain imaging techniques. Participants will receive an intravenous dose of the drug, which induces strong psychoactive effects lasting about 15 minutes, while a control group is given a placebo. The study also focuses on reactivating participants’ alcohol-related memories to evaluate whether the DMT can disrupt these patterns and lower their desire to drink.

Initial feedback from volunteers indicates that while the experience is profound, it is not one they would seek for recreational use. UCL researchers believe DMT may facilitate changes in the brain's reward system, which is often hijacked by excessive alcohol consumption.

There is ongoing recruitment for participants, who must be regular drinkers aged between 21 and 65 without a formal alcohol use disorder diagnosis. Should the trial prove successful, it may lead to further clinical studies exploring DMT's potential as an effective treatment for alcohol addiction.

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