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Can a psychedelic drug stop binge drinking?
A study at the University College London (UCL) is trialling the use of psychoactive drug dimethyltryptamine (DMT) as a means of cutting alcohol consumption.
DMT is a hallucinogenic drug found in some plants which is taken by some to induce a ‘trip’ – it can be smoked, injected, snorted, or, as is the case with ayahuasca ceremonies in South America, drunk.
UCL plans to recruit 120 volunteers, aged 21 to 65, who intend to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink. Some of the volunteers will be given an intravenous dose of DMT which should last for around 15 minutes, while others will receive a placebo or a non-hallucinogenic medication. They will then be given two MRI scans while watching a film to assess how the drug has affected their brain function. There will be follow up sessions up to nine months later to assess whether or not they have cut down how much they drink.
The researchers are investigating whether a single dose of DMT can rewire brain functions.
“Excessive drinking is partly driven by alcohol hijacking the brain’s built-in motivation and reward system,” commented Professor Ravi Das, who previously ran a similar study using ketamine. “We are seeking to counteract that with our treatment. DMT has some interesting effects on the plasticity of our brains, so we hope it can help ‘rewrite’ the reward associations people have with alcohol.”
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The study has been funded by Wellcome Leap, which funds research into tackling addiction.
According to a 2022 survey from Drinkaware, 16% of adults reported binge drinking in the previous week (19% for men, 15% for women), with the highest proportion in the 55-64 age bracket (21%) and the lowest among the over-75s (5%).
Psychologist Dr Greg Cooper also expressed hope that if the findings of the study were positive, it might instigate broader change: “We hope that our trial not only demonstrates DMT’s effectiveness in helping individuals reduce hazardous drinking patterns, but also contributes to the growing evidence that psychedelics, despite their current classification as ‘Class A’ drugs, can be used safely and effectively to treat mental health disorders. Our findings could help inform evidence-based changes to UK drug policy, allowing these promising treatments to be more widely accessible for those in need.”
Das’ previous study concerning how a shot of ketamine could rewire the brain found that, in some cases, alcohol consumption halved – another study, led by the University of Exeter, also revealed similar results.
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