Psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are gaining increasing attention in psychiatry . Studies suggest they may offer therapeutic benefits for conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders and addiction.
Authors
- Rebecca Harding
PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, UCL
- Ravi Das
Professor of Psychopharmacology, Educational Psychology, UCL
Our research team is investigating whether N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) , a fast-acting psychedelic, can help people reduce alcohol consumption.
Alcohol is the most commonly misused substance in the UK , partly because it is legal, widely available and deeply ingrained in social culture . While many people can enjoy alcohol in moderation , a significant number struggle to control their drinking. For these people, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious physical, mental and social consequences.
Traditional treatments don't work for everyone, which is why we're exploring alternatives, such as psychedelics, that might enable people to change their behaviour in a single, transformative experience .
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DMT is metabolised rapidly in the body. When administered intravenously , the effects kick in almost immediately, typically within one to two minutes. However, these effects are short-lived, lasting only ten to 20 minutes.
Despite its brief duration, many users describe the experience as intensely profound. They often report vivid visions, complex patterns and a sensation of entering a different reality. In some cases, the experience leads to a complete shift in how they think, feel and perceive the world. For many, the experience is deeply meaningful and transformative.
But what happens in the brain during this time, and how might it influence long-term behaviour, such as reducing alcohol consumption?
Neuroplasticity and addiction
Our team is particularly interested in how psychedelics like DMT might help in the context of addiction. One theory is that psychedelics can temporarily enhance neuroplasticity , the brain's ability to form new neural connections. This temporary boost could open a window of flexibility, allowing some people to be more open to change.
For someone stuck in the cycle of heavy drinking, this enhanced plasticity might help them break old habits and develop healthier behaviour. Essentially, it could offer the brain an opportunity to "rewire" itself and disrupt the unhealthy patterns that underlie addiction.
We're also focusing on the brain's reward and motivation systems, which play a key role in addiction. These systems influence behaviour associated with pleasure, including eating, sex and drinking alcohol.
In people with alcohol use disorder , these systems become hypersensitive to alcohol-related cues, often at the expense of other rewarding experiences. Some early research suggests psychedelics may help "reset" these reward pathways. We're testing this theory to see whether DMT can reduce alcohol consumption by recalibrating the brain's reward system.
To explore these possibilities, we've designed a study with heavy drinkers who are motivated to reduce their alcohol intake. Every participant undergoes a thorough screening to ensure they're fit for the study and all sessions are conducted in a highly controlled, clinical setting with medical professionals and experienced researchers overseeing the process.
The study involves three visits to our lab at UCL. On the first and third visits, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity and observe how different regions of the brain interact.
During the scans, participants watch emotionally engaging films, which offer a more natural way to study brain responses compared to abstract tasks. This helps us assess how DMT might impact brain function in real-life, emotionally charged situations.
On the second visit, participants are randomly assigned to receive either DMT, a placebo, or a non-psychedelic drug ( D-cycloserine or Lisuride ). These non-psychedelic substances are believed to promote neuroplasticity without inducing the full psychedelic effects of DMT.
The study is double-blind - neither the participants nor the researchers know which substance is being administered. This helps eliminate bias and ensures that the results are as reliable as possible.
Additionally, we measure changes in brain activity during the drug infusion using electroencephalography (EEG) . EEG tracks the brain's electrical signals and could help us predict which participants are most likely to benefit from DMT.
Participants also complete a range of psychological assessments, including questionnaires and tasks that measure memory, attention, mood and decision-making. This data will help us understand how changes in brain function might relate to changes in drinking behaviour.
What we're hoping to discover
We're still in the process of collecting data, but we're excited to see whether DMT can lead to meaningful reductions in alcohol consumption. As researchers, it's crucial that we stay objective and allow the evidence to guide our conclusions. By keeping the study "blinded" until all results are in, we ensure that our findings are unbiased and reliable.
If DMT proves effective in helping people reduce their alcohol consumption, particularly for those who have struggled with other treatments, it could pave the way for a new approach to addiction therapy. Even if the results are inconclusive, they will still provide valuable insights into the potential role of psychedelics in addiction treatment and open up new avenues for future research.
It's important to emphasise that this research is taking place in a safe, controlled environment. Psychedelics are potent substances, and their effects can be unpredictable, especially outside of clinical settings. They are not a "magic bullet" and are not suitable for everyone . The controlled setting allows us to study their effects while minimising risk to participants.
That said, we believe psychedelics offer a unique opportunity to better understand the brain and its capacity for change. By examining how transformative experiences can influence behaviour, we hope to contribute to the development of more effective treatments for addiction and other mental health conditions.
Ravi Das receives research funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK), Academy of Medical Sciences (UK) and Wellcome Leap (USA).
Rebecca Harding does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
