Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2025
07:30
Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
6.9K
Association Between Shift Working and Brain Morphometric Changes in Workers: A Voxel-wise Comparison
Joon Yul Choi1, Sungmin Kim1, Yongho Lee2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
Safety and Health at Work
|June 27, 2025
Summary
Shift work is linked to brain changes, with non-shift workers showing larger cerebellums and shift workers having larger inferior parietal gyri. These findings highlight the impact of occupational environments on brain neuroplasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Occupational Health
- Radiology
Background:
- Observational studies link shift work to health issues.
- Neurological evidence of these effects is lacking.
- Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reveal structural changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate morphometric brain changes in shift workers versus non-shift workers.
- To provide brain-based neurological evidence for the health impacts of shift work.
- To explore the association between shift work and structural brain alterations.
Main Methods:
- 111 healthy workers underwent brain MRI.
- Voxel-based morphometry analyzed gray matter volume.
- General linear models and threshold-free cluster enhancement identified significant differences, controlling for intracranial volume, age, and sex.
Main Results:
- Non-shift workers had significantly larger cerebellar regions (p < 0.05).
- Shift workers exhibited a significantly larger inferior parietal gyrus.
- Both groups showed increased clusters, indicating neuroplasticity.
Conclusions:
- Shift work influences brain structure, affecting regions like the cerebellum and inferior parietal gyrus.
- Occupational environments, including shift schedules, can impact brain neuroplasticity.
- These findings are crucial for occupational health considerations.
