A new study published in Nature has a variety of interesting results for the use of DMT, showing positive results for depression and potential for easier patient access.
First, the use of DMT was shown to be safe and tolerable (there were some increases to patients’ blood pressure and heart rate that dissipated soon after treatment began). Being a Phase 1 trial, and with other DMT trials taking place across the industry, these results add another safety data point to the growing catalog of supporting evidence.
Second, the results of the trial showed that DMT had positive effects on patients with Major Depressive Disorder. The study was small in size (only 10 participants), and did not have a placebo group, not ideal but not the end of the world in an exploratory Phase 1 study. There were two doses of DMT administered intravenously according to the patient’s weight (dose-escalation of 0.1 mg/kg followed by a larger 0.3 mg/kg dose). The most significant positive results were seen the day after receiving the larger DMT treatment, with HAMD-17 scores (a measure of depression symptoms) decreasing by −4.5 points. These aren’t revolutionary scores, as other studies for psilocybin have shown much more dramatic improvements, still they are statistically significant and surely welcome relief for patients.
The most interesting part, however, may be the third aspect. The study was distinctly different from other psychedelic medicine trials in that it forgoed much of the usual psychotherapy and attention to “set and setting” that usually takes place. The study was “conducted in a typical hospital setting with strategic psychoeducation/support, but minimal psychotherapy” and “participants were dosed in a booth containing a medical-grade reclining chair and desk that was lit with overhead fluorescent lighting. There was no art adorning the room and no music was played. Participants were provided pillows and hospital-issued linens.”
Not very ceremonial, nor did it follow the usual model with psychotherapy sessions before and after treatment, yet still the results were positive.
While plant medicine purists might bemoan this antiseptic approach to healing, this study shows that patients could potentially receive therapeutic benefits with minimal time and resources spent on pre and post talk therapy — something that could go a long way in reducing restrictive time and cost hurdles, potentially removing barriers to access for those with less financial means.
You can find a link to the study and abstract here
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