UK Study Links Shift Work to Brain Volume Loss, Halting Within 2.4 Years After Exit
Updated
Updated · PsyPost · May 27
UK Study Links Shift Work to Brain Volume Loss, Halting Within 2.4 Years After Exit
3 articles · Updated · PsyPost · May 27
14,198 UK Biobank participants—including 2,122 shift workers—showed small but statistically significant volume loss in the left amygdala and right thalamus compared with non-shift workers.
More frequent shift work was tied to greater amygdala shrinkage, and workers who stopped shift schedules saw that volume loss halt within 2.4 years, with slight recovery.
Shift workers also showed microstructural degradation in the corticospinal tract, cerebral peduncle and right sagittal stratum, alongside lower scores on memory, fluid intelligence and processing-speed tests.
The NeuroImage paper says the observational design cannot prove causation, and notes UK Biobank participants are generally healthier and less diverse than the broader population.
The findings land as shift work remains widespread: Europe’s share rose from 17% in 2010 to 21% in 2015 and held through 2024, while the U.S. rate climbed from 14.8% in 2004 to 16.4% in 2019.
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