Long-Term Shift Work Ages Brain, Study Finds

Working shifts long-term has an ageing effect on the brain impairing the ability to think and remember, according to research.

A study found changing shift patterns "chronically impairs cognition", and even had potential safety implications.

The scientists, who included British researchers from the University of Swansea, said the problems increased with the length of time people worked shifts.

After 10 years of rotating shift work the association became "highly significant".

A decade or more working rotating shifts led to a loss of brain function equivalent to 6.5 years of age-related mental decline, said the researchers.

And while stopping shift work led to gradual recovery, this took at least five years.

The scientists believe disruption of the body clock, which is based on natural day and night cycles, may cause stresses that may affect brain functioning.

Other studies have linked vitamin D deficiency due to reduced exposure to sunlight to poorer mental ability.

Writing in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the international team led by Dr Jean-Claude Marquie, from the University of Toulouse, France, concluded: "Shift work chronically impairs cognition, with potentially important safety consequences not only for the individuals concerned, but also for society."

The scientists assessed more than 3,000 workers from southern France who had their mental abilities tested on three occasions over a 10-year period.

Those taking part were aged 32, 42, 52 and 62 at the time of the first test in 1996.

Around a fifth had worked a shift pattern that switched between mornings, afternoons and nights.

Shift workers had lower average scores for memory, processing speed and overall brain function than those working normal office hours.

Compared with people who had never worked rotating shifts, participants employed this way for 10 or more years had lower overall thinking and memory scores.

The researchers said: "Measures should be considered that mitigate the impact that prolonged exposure to shift work has on cognitive abilities, including switching to normal day work."

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