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N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an Endogenous Hallucinogen: Past, Present, and Future Research to Determine Its Role and Function
Open accessAbstract
This report provides a historical overview of research concerning the endogenous hallucinogen N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), focusing on data regarding its biosynthesis and metabolism in the brain and peripheral tissues, methods and results for DMT detection in body fluids and brain, new sites of action for DMT, and new data regarding its possible physiological and therapeutic roles. Research that further elaborates its consideration as a putative neurotransmitter is also addressed. Taking these studies together, the report proposes several new directions and experiments to ascertain the role of DMT in the brain, including brain mapping of enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of DMT, further studies to elaborate its presence and role in the pineal gland, a reconsideration of binding site data, and new administration and imaging studies. The need to resolve the "natural" role of an endogenous hallucinogen from the effects observed from peripheral administration are also emphasized.
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“The brain enzyme uses S-adenosylmethionine as a methyl donor for the successive formation of N-methyltryptamine and then DMT (9) [122].”
From Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans. (2021) · cites this paper as [122]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Barker, S. A.
- Affiliations
- Louisiana State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Barker, Steven A.
- ORCID
- Barker, Steven A.
- Venue
- Frontiers in Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2018-08-06
- Volume
- 12
- Pages
- 536-536
- ISSN
- 1662-453X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6088236
- OpenAlex
- W2885412565
- Cited by
- 177
- References
- 135
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 1.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Frontiers in Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hallucinations in medical conditions
- Keywords
- N,N-dimethyltryptamine, DMT, pineal gland
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