One-dose DMT restores mood and brain circuitry in stressed mice

A single dose of DMT given after chronic stress reverses depression-like behaviors in mice, restoring pleasure-seeking and improving cognitive performance, with brain data showing increased hippocampal neurogenesis and corrected neuron placement. In many measures DMT outperformed fluoxetine, and benefits persisted even when dosing occurred under anesthesia, suggesting the conscious psychedelic experience may not be strictly necessary. Timing mattered: post-stress dosing yielded stronger cognitive recovery, underscoring a brain-plasticity window, but researchers caution that mouse results do not guarantee human outcomes and call for further translational work.