Presentation by Richard Fuentes

Peer reviewers: Makenzie Knighten & Nicholas Wong

Introduction:

Both N, N-Dimethyltryptamine, and 5-Methoxy-N, N-Dimethyltryptamine are potent psychoactive substances capable of causing brief and intense psychedelic effects when consumed. Although 5-Methoxy-N, N-Dimethyltryptamine is notably more potent than N, N-Dimethyltryptamine, both have been substances of interest amongst the medical and scientific community since their revolutionary discoveries(Davis et al., n.d.). N, N-Dimethyltryptamine, and 5-Methoxy- Dimethyltryptamine are characterized to be classic hallucinogens in many regards. One reason is that they increase levels of 5-HT(formally known as serotonin)( Nichols, 2004). Ingestion of these agonists increases neural activity in the serotonergic pathway. Regions along the pathway are normally designated for higher brain function such as mood, memory processing, sleep, and cognition, this higher awareness primes the conditions needed for a profound introspective experience with which we are able to catalyze recovery from addiction. (Carbonaro & Gatch, 2016)

Future Research

• What are their effects on empathy, conscientiousness, and environmental

  concern?

• The difference of effects between synthetic and natural compound

  consumption.

• What is the best way to integrate these alternate therapies into the

  mechanisms already in place?

References

Carbonaro, T. M., & Gatch, M. B. (2016). Neuropharmacology of N, N-dimethyltryptamine. In Brain Research Bulletin (Vol. 126, Issue Pt 1, pp. 74–88). Elsevier Inc. doi.org/10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.04.016

Carhart-Harris, R. L., & Friston, K. J. (2019). REBUS and the anarchic brain: Toward a unified model of the brain action of psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 71(3), 316–344. doi.org/10.1124/pr.118.017160

Carhart-Harris, R. L., & Nutt, D. J. (2017). Serotonin and brain function: A tale of two receptors. In Journal of Psychopharmacology (Vol. 31, Issue 9, pp. 1091–1120). SAGE Publications Ltd. doi.org/10.1177/0269881117725915

Carhart-Harris, Robin L. (2018). Serotonin, psychedelics, and psychiatry. In World Psychiatry (Vol. 17, Issue 3, pp. 358–359). Blackwell Publishing Ltd. doi.org/10.1002/wps.20555

Davis, A. K., Barsuglia, J. P., Lancelotta, R., Grant, R. M., & Renn, E. (n.d.). The epidemiology of 5-Methoxy-N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) use: Benefits, consequences, patterns of use, subjective effects, and reasons for consumption. doi.org/10.1177/0269881118769063

Davis, A. K., So, S., Lancelotta, R., Barsuglia, J. P., & Griffiths, R. R. (2019). 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 45(2), 161–169. doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2018.1545024

Nichols, D. E. (2016a). Psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 68(2), 264–355. doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478

Nichols, D. E. (2016b). Psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 68(2), 264–355. doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478

Reiff, C. M., Richman, E. E., Nemeroff, C. B., Carpenter, L. L., Widge, A. S., Rodriguez, C. I., Kalin, N. H., & McDonald, W. M. (2020). Psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. In American Journal of Psychiatry (Vol. 177, Issue 5, pp. 391–410). American Psychiatric Association. doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19010035