A psychedelic drug is being tested as a novel way to reduce problematic alcohol consumption, in an ongoing study led by UCL researchers.

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The drug, DMT (dimethyltryptamine), is the active ingredient in the Amazonian brew ayahuasca, which has a long history of ceremonial use in South America. In its pure form, DMT is one of the most powerful psychoactive substances found in nature.

The study represents the largest psychedelic brain imaging study of its kind to date and is funded by Wellcome Leap.

A few volunteers have already begun the trial, and the research team is continuing to recruit a total of 120 study participants who drink regularly and are looking to cut back.

Volunteers are given an intravenous dose of the drug, which – unlike other psychedelics – only lasts for 15 minutes, alongside a brief psychological intervention. They also undergo two MRI brain scans while watching a film so that the researchers can examine whether the drug causes lasting changes in brain function. Participants also have an electroencephalography (EEG) brain scan during the dosing session in order to see how the drug impacts brain function while it is active. Volunteers will be given DMT, a placebo or active control drugs (two non-hallucinogenic medications already in common use which may impact brain plasticity) as a comparison.

Volunteers will attend follow-up sessions up to nine months later, so that the scientists can see what impact the intervention has had, and whether it has helped participants to cut back on their drinking.

Source: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/jan/psychedelic-drug-being-tested-treatment-heavy-drinking