London University College has launched an innovative study of the impact of DMT psychedelic substance to reduce alcohol. The focus of scientists is the potential of this high -speed psychedelic to change the brain activity and behavior of dependent people.
Studies are headed by Candidate of Sciences Rebecca Harding and Professor of Clinical Psychopharmacology Ravi DAS. The purpose is to study whether DMT (dimethyltriptamine) can help people reduce or stop drinking alcohol altogether. The first results are still ahead, but the study itself is already interested in scientific circles.
Alcoholic dependence remains one of the most acute public health problems in countries with free access to alcohol. Traditional treatments are often not effective. That is why scientists turn to alternatives - in particular, psychedelics.
DMT is known for its ability to cause powerful mental experiences within 1-2 minutes after intravenous administration, and they last only 10-20 minutes. However, even such a brief experience is described by users as deeply transformational - with intense visual effects and the impression of "another reality".
The key interest of the researchers is the ability to temporarily increase neuroplasticity - the flexibility of the brain, which allows you to change old behavioral models and form new ones. This can be crucial for people who seek to get rid of alcohol addiction.
Special attention is also paid to the system of brain compensation, which in dependent persons becomes too sensitive to alcohol -related signals. Theoretically, DMT can "restart" this system, reducing the impact of alcohol on motivation and feeling of pleasure.
As part of the experiment, participants pass a series of visits to the laboratory, where they are conducted by MRI, EEG and psychological testing. The drugs are injected randomly - DMT, placebo or other substance that affects the brain without a psychedelic effect. The study has double blind observation: neither participants nor researchers know who received what.
Changes in brain activity and behavioral models will help determine whether DMT can really become a new tool for combating alcohol addiction.
