Dimethyltryptamine: Endogenous Role and Therapeutic Potential
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs April 25, 2019 Alexandra Vsl Rodrigues, Francisco Almeida, Maria Augusta Vieira‐coelho 30 citations
N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an indole alkaloid found in plants and animals, including humans, with psychoactive effects first described in 1956 but used for centuries by South American indigenous populations in ayahuasca. This review assesses the state of knowledge on endogenous DMT and potential clinical uses of ayahuasca and DMT. The role of endogenous DMT remains unclear, but ayahuasca shows promising results for anxiety, depression, and substance dependence. Given ayahuasca's good safety profile, further research is crucial to develop new psychiatric treatments.