The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine®: Inside the Mind: Noland’s Journey with Neuralink, Lung Cancer Puzzle: Female Asian Never-Smokers, Living Longer with the Mediterranean Diet, Health Perks of Regular Sleep and Meals

The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine® is a pop-culture medical newsletter and exclusive benefit for 2 Minute Medicine Plus subscribers.

We begin by talking about the experiences of Neuralink’s first patient with his brain implant. Then we discuss the phenomenon of increased lung cancer rates in non-smoking female Asians. After that, we take a look at the new findings regarding the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Finally, we go over how Djokovic’s 3 a.m. finish at the French Open could have played a role in his decision to exit the tournament.

Inside the Mind: Noland’s Journey with Neuralink

The story: In January, Noland Arbaugh became the first human to receive a brain implant from Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface (BCI) company, Neuralink. In May, the 30-year-old young man with quadriplegia spoke about how this technology had changed his life over the past few months.

How does the Neuralink chip work?

About 8 years ago, Noland, a former athlete, became paralyzed from the shoulders down after a diving accident. In a recent interview, 4 months after the Neuralink chip implantation in early 2024, he disclosed how this advanced technology has changed his life. In his words, “I did not have anything to wake up for in the morning, and this has changed that for me.”

Noland can now use his mind to control smartphones and computers. For example, he can move the cursor on the screen to play chess and listen to music.

The Neuralink chip employs thin, flexible threads with over 1,000 electrodes to monitor the activity of neurons, the nerve cells responsible for transmitting messages throughout the body, to control nearly all human functions. These surgically implanted and low-power chips process neural signals, transmitting them wirelessly to the Neuralink Application, which then decodes the data stream into actions and intentions.

From science fiction to reality: How far have we come?

Using one’s thoughts to control one’s surroundings and perform actions has been a theme in many science fiction stories and movies. For example, in “The Matrix” franchise, the BCI enables humans to connect to a simulated reality via a neural jack, and in “Upgrade (2018),” it gives the protagonist control over his body after being paralyzed.

Aside from Neuralink, several other companies in the private sector, such as Neurable and Kernel, are developing BCIs for different uses. For example, in 2017, Neurable invented the world’s first mind-controlled virtual reality game. Public sector initiatives such as the Human Brain Project (HBP) strive to speed up brain research to enhance disease treatment and improve cognitive functioning. HBP has achieved remarkable outcomes, including but not limited to advances in neuro-inspired robotics and artificial intelligence and the application of cognitive modeling and personalized medicine. Despite the existing challenges involving medical safety, privacy, and security, many researchers are hopeful about the future of BCI and the development of less invasive technologies that can open up new possibilities.

Lung Cancer Puzzle: Female Asian Never-Smokers

According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States, and it is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths overall.

A common myth is that only smokers develop lung cancer. When Kate Micucci, who starred in “The Big Bang Theory” TV show, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, she expressed her surprise, explaining that she never smoked a cigarette in her life. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10–20 percent of lung cancer cases in the US occur in individuals who have never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lives. This rate has increased recently, especially among women.

FANS, which stands for “Female Asian Never-Smokers”, is a research program launched 15 years ago at the University of California, and it is the only NIH-funded study to investigate the possible causes of lung cancer in this population. Recent results of this study have found that about 80 % of Asian American women diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked. Moreover, this group is 1.5–2 times more likely than other racial groups to receive a lung cancer diagnosis.

Despite the advances in lung cancer treatment, a lot remains unknown about how lung cancer happens, especially in individuals with no particular risk factors. FANS team researchers aim to advance lung cancer prevention and treatment by raising awareness and researching disparities in non-smoking Asian women.

Living Longer with the Mediterranean Diet

According to a new study published in JAMA, which followed over 25,000 women for 25 years, high adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality. Another interesting finding of the study was that this association between the Mediterranean diet and cancer mortality was stronger than the association with cardiovascular disease. These results are consistent with a 2017 study that showed improved diet quality was associated with a decreased risk of death in US populations and further highlighted the long-term benefits of this diet.

The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes eating fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats, has been associated with health benefits such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure for a long time. Several celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Penélope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz have advocated for and shared their experiences with this diet. In her book “The Longevity Book”, Cameron Diaz wrote, “Good nutrition can extend life. What we eat affects how long we live and how we feel every day we are alive.”

Health Perks of Regular Sleep and Meals

Novak Djokovic, the 37-year-old top-ranked tennis player, exited the French Open on June 4th due to a meniscus tear in his right knee and underwent surgery to address the injury on June 5th. Some experts blamed French Open organizers for this forced withdrawal as they scheduled Djokovic’s matches late into the night, leading to insufficient recovery time and a knee injury scare. Djokovic’s third-round match at the French Open against his rival started at 10:37 p.m. on Saturday and concluded at 3:07 a.m. the following morning.

With late-night matches becoming more common, as seen in other tournaments such as the Australian Open and the US Open, many argue that cut-off times should be considered as the health of players, fans, and stadium workers is at stake.

Attention to sleeping and eating patterns is important for everybody, not just athletes. Studies have shown that changing regular sleep-wake time by only 90 minutes can significantly increase the risk of heart disease, independent of sleep duration, sleep apnea, and even cardiovascular risk factors such as high cholesterol. Similarly, while healthy diets such as Mediterranean diets are associated with better health outcomes, the timing of eating is important as well. Irregular eating patterns, especially eating later in the day, are associated with obesity and cardiovascular diseases as they disrupt circadian rhythm and energy balance.

As seen with professional athletes, the variability in sleep and mealtime is more common among younger people due to work and school demands. While shift workers are most affected by irregular eating and sleeping, even less severe changes in eating and sleep patterns may have significant health impacts.

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