Ayahuasca-inspired DMT/HAR formulation reduces brain differentiation between self and other faces

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychopharmacology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Psychedelics profoundly alter perception and self-referential processing.
• Their specific impact on face recognition, especially familiarity, is underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate effects of DMT/HAR and Harmine on face recognition and self-referential processing.
• Utilize event-related potentials (ERPs) and subjective measures.

Main Methods:

• Within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled design with 30 healthy males.
• EEG recording during a visual oddball task with Self, Familiar, and Unknown Faces.
• Compared DMT/HAR, Harmine, and Placebo effects on P1, N170, and P300 ERP components.

Main Results:

• DMT/HAR increased P1 and decreased N170 amplitudes, indicating altered early visual processing.
• DMT/HAR reduced neural differentiation between self and other faces in the P300 wave.
• Familiar face processing remained stable, preserving socially meaningful representations.

Conclusions:

• DMT/HAR selectively attenuated neural distinction between self and other faces, correlating with diminished self-referential processing.
• This highlights serotonergic modulation of face recognition and psychedelic-induced neural reorganization.
• Reduced self-other differentiation may enhance cognitive flexibility, offering therapeutic potential for depression and social anxiety.