---An interview with Dr. David Roye, by Hugo Wang, Writing Fellow at International Healthcare Leadership
Have you ever believed in a conspiracy theory? I’m sure everyone has once in their lifetime heard of ideas like the moon landing wasn’t real, or that aliens are being held captive in Area 51. Most of the time, these theories are rather harmless; but recently, conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19 have gained a larger and larger audience in the United States. The US constitutes only 4% of the world's population but has produced 20% of the total death due to COVID-19. Misinformation claiming that COVID-19 is planned or simply isn't real can have and have had severe implications for the public's health. Certain groups of our population have been refusing to cooperate with any public health measures to contain the virus.
It might be challenging and near impossible for most of our readers to fathom the idea that someone would believe baseless claims over scientific facts. How are people willing to choose to blame Bill Gates for the pandemic rather than listening to doctors, public health workers, and other health professionals? Dr. David Roye, Chief Medical Officer of JuniperMD might have a possible answer for you.
Referring to a study done on potential neurological mechanisms of believing in COVID conspiracy theories, Dr. Roye said: "It is comforting to know that there's a neurological basis for this." Dr. Roye endorses the potential explanation that neural pathways and how people's brains are wired to think to have a lot to do with science denials we've witnessed throughout the pandemic. "If you don't have adequate pathways to support processing a lot of evidence for your beliefs, you're going to believe all kinds of silly stuff."
"The scientific rationale that the neuroscientists gave in this article are based on disease models, which is a little bit unfortunate." Addressing the study's approach of drawing inference from neurodegenerative disorders, Dr. Roye said: "But when you look at the way that neuroscience works through an Oliver Sacks approach, isolated disabilities and the inability of someone to remember the recent past or the inability of people to interpret environmental information can be linked to known anatomical or metabolic conditions. You're then better able to explain normal human behaviors like distinguishing truth and conspiracy theories."
But if the way you process information is determined by your brain functions, does that mean we are predisposed to think a certain way? The good news is, no! Specializing in treating cerebral palsy in children, Dr. Roye is an expert on the subject of brain redevelopment. Using his experiences, he explains: "The message of the study is hopeful. Because the brain has a lot of neuroplasticity, which exists right until we reach senescence. New connections of pathways can be made and the connections that are missing in people who are unable to interpret data can be formed, with the right exposure."
Reflecting on the takeaways of the study, Dr. Roye shared with us some final thoughts: "This particular framework kind of allows me to rationalize and accepted why people believe in conspiracies in a way that makes them more comfortable. And I think the reasons I like that is that it allows me to become less and less angry. I can now understand the process behind the irrationality of COVID-19 deniers and better able to suggest solutions rather than just become polemic."
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