NCT06927076

Antidepressant Response of DMT Masked With Propofol

Investigating the Role of the Psychedelic Experience in the Antidepressant Response in Patients With Major Depression: a Placebo-controlled Factorial Trial With DMT Masked With Propofol (DMT4D-Study)

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 112 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to elucidate if the anti-depressive effect of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is based on a biological mechanisms including neuroplasticity and anti-inflammatory effect or due to the subjective psychedelic experience.

Detailed description

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects nearly 20% of people, but current treatments-both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic-have limited efficacy, especially for mild to severe cases. Psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and DMT are being explored as alternative therapies, with studies showing promising antidepressant effects. However, it is unclear whether these benefits stem from their acute subjective (psychedelic) experience or from biological mechanisms like neuroplasticity and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aims to determine if the antidepressant effects of DMT occur independently of its psychedelic experience. To test this, DMT will be administered under sedation (with propofol) to mask subjective effects, as well as without sedation.

Conditions

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Psychedelic Experiences

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	N,N-Dimethyltryptamine	administration of a 2mg/min DMT perfusion over 20 min
DRUG	Placebo	administration of a placebo perfusion over 20 min
PROCEDURE	Propofol	30 min propofol sedation
PROCEDURE	no sedation	no sedation

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-08-05
• Primary completion: 2029-03-01
• Completion: 2029-03-01
• First posted: 2025-04-15
• Last updated: 2026-04-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland