The evolution of N, N-Dimethyltryptamine: from metabolic pathways to brain connectivity.
Psychopharmacology April 11, 2025 Swanti Gupta, Raj K Bhatnagar, Dinesh Gupta et al. 27 citations
DMT, a potent serotonergic psychedelic, induces significant changes in brain wave dynamics, including reduced alpha power, increased delta power, and heightened Lempel-Ziv complexity, reflecting enhanced neural signal diversity. Functional neuroimaging studies reveal that DMT enhances global functional connectivity, particularly in transmodal association cortices such as the salience network, frontoparietal network, and default mode network, correlating with ego dissolution. The receptor density-dependent effects of DMT map to brain regions rich in serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, supporting its role in modulating consciousness and neuroplasticity. This integrated analysis provides insights into DMT's profound effects on human cognition and consciousness.