Acute Dose-dependent Effects of DMT-bolus Applications in Healthy Subjects (DMT BDR-Study) (DMT BDR)

April 10, 2025 updated by: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Acute Dose-dependent Effects of DMT-bolus Applications in Healthy Subjects: A Placebo-controlled Cross-over Study (DMT BDR-Study).

N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a psychoactive substance with similar effects such as LSD or psilocybin. However, DMT is less well characterized than the latter substances. The present study is a modern randomized cross-over trial, investigating different intravenous DMT boluses over a broad dose range. Thus, different doses will be tested and related to subjective and autonomic effects.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally-occurring psychedelic substance widely used in recreational and spiritual settings (Ayahuasca). DMT is considered a tool to induce an altered state of consciousness of interest in psychological and psychiatric research. DMT is rapidly metabolized by monoamine oxidase (MAO) A. Therefore, it is inactive when administered orally and has a very short duration of action when administered parenterally (<20 min). However, to date no clinical study has investigated dose-response effects over a broad range of different doses of DMT within the same patient. The aim of the present study is to experimentally test different intravenous DMT bolus doses over a broad dose range and investigate the related subjective and autonomic effects in order to establish a precise dose-response relationship of DMT in healthy subjects.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
36

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Switzerland
      • Basel, Switzerland, 4056
        • Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, University Hospital Basel

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

25 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age between 25 and 65 years old
  2. Sufficient understanding of the German language
  3. Understanding of procedures and risks associated with the study
  4. Willing to adhere to the protocol and signing of the consent form
  5. Willing to refrain from the consumption of illicit psychoactive substances during the study
  6. Abstaining from xanthine-based liquids from the evenings prior to the study sessions and during the sessions
  7. Willing not to operate heavy machinery within 6 h of DMT administration
  8. Willing to use double-barrier birth control throughout study participation
  9. Body mass index between 18-29 kg/m2.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Chronic or acute medical condition
  2. Current or previous major psychiatric disorder (e.g. psychotic disorders, mania / hypomania, anxiety disorders).
  3. Psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder in first-degree relatives
  4. Hypertension (SBP>140/90 mmHg) or hypotension (SBP<85 mmHg)
  5. Hallucinogenic substance use (not including cannabis) more than 20 times or any time within the previous two months
  6. Pregnancy or current breastfeeding
  7. Participation in another clinical trial (currently or within the last 30 days)
  8. Use of medication that may interfere with the effects of the study medication
  9. Tobacco smoking (>10 cigarettes/day)
  10. Consumption of alcoholic beverages (>20 drinks/week)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Randomized
Subjects will be administered intravenous DMT in 4 different bolus doses or placebo in randomized, counter-balanced order. The bolus applications will be separated by one hour.
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (5mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (10mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (15mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (20mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: Placebo (saline)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Experimental: Dose ecalation
Subjects will be administered a placebo and a maximum of 5 DMT bolus doses in an escalating dose order. The bolus applications will be separated by one hour.
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (5mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (10mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (15mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (20mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: Placebo (saline)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds
Drug: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (25mg)
Intravenous bolus application over 45 seconds

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Altered states of consciousness profile (OAV)
Time Frame: Repeatedly 1 hour after each bolus application
Altered states of consciousness profile (OAV) consisting of 42 items to be rated on a visual analog scale (0-100 mm), with higher values indicating stronger effects with higher scores representing more intense effects
Repeatedly 1 hour after each bolus application
Subjective effect ratings over time
Time Frame: Repeatedly 1 hour after each bolus application
Participants will be asked by the investigator to repeatedly rate their subjective effects verbally on a Likert scale from 0 to 10 for: "any drug effect", "good drug effect", "bad drug effect", and "fear". Ratings will be performed before and repeatedly after substance administration and will take approximately 30 sec complete.
Repeatedly 1 hour after each bolus application

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Saarbrücker Personality Questionnaire (SPF)
Time Frame: Baseline
The SPF defines empathy as the "reactions of one individual to the observed experiences of another." It assesses 28- items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "Does not describe me well" to "Describes me very well". The measure has 4 subscales (Perspective Taking, Fantasy, Empathic Concern, Personal Distress) each made up of 7 different items.
Baseline
Elliot Humility Scale (EHS)
Time Frame: Baseline
The Elliot Humility Scale (EHS) is a validated 13-item self-rating measure assessing four subscales, i.e. openness, self-forgetfulness, accurate self-assessment, and focus on others on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"
Baseline
Psychedelic experience questionnnaire (PEQ)
Time Frame: Repeatedly 1 hour after each bolus application
Assesses the emergence and intensity of phenomenons occurring in altered states of consciousness on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 0 ("not at all") to 5 ("extremely").
Repeatedly 1 hour after each bolus application
Near death experience content scale (NDE-C)
Time Frame: Repeatedly 1 hour after each bolus application
The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale is a tool to assess dimensions of near-death experience on a Likert scale ranging from 0 ("not at all") to 4 ("extremely").
Repeatedly 1 hour after each bolus application
Spiritual Realms Questionnaire (SRQ)
Time Frame: Once at the end of study day
Assesses the spiritual phenomenons elicited by psychedelic substances through 11 main questions to be answered on a total of 65 sub-ordered 100mm visual analog scales once on each study day
Once at the end of study day
Blood pressure
Time Frame: Repeatedly in short intervals (2-10 minutes) after each bolus application
Assessed multiple times on each study day via systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Repeatedly in short intervals (2-10 minutes) after each bolus application
Heart rate
Time Frame: Repeatedly in short intervals (2-10 minutes) after each bolus application
Assessed multiple times on each study day.
Repeatedly in short intervals (2-10 minutes) after each bolus application
Plasma level DMT
Time Frame: Repeatedly in short intervals (2-10 minutes) after each bolus application
Assessed multiple times on each study day.
Repeatedly in short intervals (2-10 minutes) after each bolus application
Urine recovery of DMT
Time Frame: Once at the end of study day
Assessed once on each study day
Once at the end of study day
NEO-Five-Factor-Inventory (NEO-FFI)
Time Frame: Baseline
The NEO-FFI is a self-description questionnaire with 60 items for the measurement of the "big five": neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and consciousness. It uses a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "completely disagree" to "fully agree.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 12, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 2, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 4, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 14, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 23, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 25, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 11, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 10, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • BASEC 2022-01224

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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