Honors College Mic
John Spollen, M.D. to Present Honors College Mic Lecture on Psychedelic Treatment in Psychiatry
Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 5:15 p.m.
Gearhart Hall Auditorium (GEAR 026)
In 1954, an article in Time Magazine entitled “Dream Stuff” claimed LSD 25 could be a “great benefit to mental patients.” In fact, references to psychedelics in the medical space were rising across mass media in the ‘50s and ‘60s as clinicians began the initial phase of therapeutic research, particularly on neurosis and alcoholism. As drug use moved out of doctor’s offices, the perception of psychedelics changed radically for the next 40 years.
John Spollen, M.D., a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, will discuss the reawakening of psychedelic research since 2010 and share the psychiatric indications for the potential use of ketamine, MDMA and psilocybin in an upcoming Honors College Mic lecture, “Dangerous Drugs of Abuse or Reasonable Treatments for Serious Problems?”
The lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 29, in Gearhart Hall Auditorium (GEAR 26) at 5:15 p.m.
“As an advocate for psychedelics in the 60s, Harvard professor Timonthy Leary’s dictum ‘turn on, tune in, drop out’ horrified an older generation,” said Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College. “Then-President Richard Nixon went as far to call Leary ‘the most dangerous man in America.’ Spollen’s research into the opportunities and dangers of psychedelics help us understand its fraught history’s reemergence and positive incorporation into American medicine.”
Spollen previously served as director of the Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service and Electroconclusive Therapy, and he founded the Ketamine Program for treatment-resistant depression at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in 2019.
“I’ve been working at the Little Rock VA for 25 years, and ketamine for depression is the most impactful new psychiatric treatment I have seen. People routinely tell me it has been life-changing for them. It doesn't work for everyone, but for those that it does it is usually a dramatic difference.”
Treatment-resistant depression, a form of major depressive disorder that does not respond to at least two antidepressants of adequate dose and duration, is a serious, life-threatening condition with elevated rates of suicide, hospitalization and impairment in daily functioning, Spollen noted. Administered via infusion, ketamine has been shown to be a “rapidly acting, often in just one to two weeks” treatment for people that standard antidepressant medications haven't helped.
During his time at the VA, Spollen did have patients who were surprised to learn about the program, but “most of them wanted to give it try because they felt so miserable for so long,” he shared.
Each psychedelic class works “very differently,” and their use in psychiatric treatment also varies significantly. For example, ketamine is given like a medication and is used for severe depression, while MDMA is being used to facilitate psychotherapy for PTSD, Spollen said.
In addition to reviewing the history of psychedelics and recent studies on ketamine, MDMA and psilocybin, Spollen will also postulate the possible impacts on psychiatry if these substances are approved for treatment.
Honors College Mic showcases notable leaders, alumni and scholars who share insights and expertise on a wide range of topics. Overall, these lectures foster intellectual conversation at the University of Arkansas through dialogue between lecturer and student, faculty and staff, and the wider populace.