MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Network control energy reductions under DMT relate to serotonin receptors, signal diversity, and subjective experience

Summary

Researchers studied how DMT affects the brain’s ability to switch between different activity patterns. Using simultaneous brain imaging (fMRI) and electrical recordings (EEG), they found that DMT makes these transitions easier and less energy-intensive. The effects occurred primarily in brain regions with high levels of serotonin 2a receptors and were accompanied by increased complexity of brain signals and stronger subjective drug effects.

Background

Psychedelics like DMT produce profound alterations in consciousness and brain activity patterns. DMT is a rapidly-acting psychedelic that produces immersive experiences lasting 15-30 minutes, making it ideal for studying acute brain dynamics during a single functional MRI scan.

Objective

To quantify DMT’s effects on network control energy and relate these changes to serotonin 2a receptor distribution, neural signal diversity, and subjective drug effects using time-resolved network control theory analysis.

Results

Global control energy was significantly reduced after DMT injection compared to placebo (61.7% of post-injection timepoints). Reductions in control energy correlated negatively with EEG signal diversity and subjective drug intensity. Regional control energy patterns correlated with serotonin 2a receptor density distribution, with dominance analysis showing 5-HT2a as the most important receptor explaining DMT’s effects.

Conclusion

Time-resolved network control analysis reveals that DMT reduces the energy needed for brain state transitions in a manner related to serotonin 2a receptor distribution and increased neural complexity. A pharmacologically-informed network control model successfully simulated DMT’s effects on control energy dynamics using placebo fMRI data combined with receptor maps and pharmacokinetic modeling.
  • Published in:Communications Biology,
  • Study Type:Clinical Trial,
  • Source: PMID: 40251353, DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08078-9
Scroll to Top