Night shift and shift work does not affect automatic cognition as reflected by duration mismatch negativity.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Neuroscience
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Night shift work is prevalent among nurses, often leading to adverse health outcomes.
• Previous research suggests night shifts can cause cognitive impairment and fatigue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of night shifts on sleepiness, fatigue, and automatic auditory cognition in nurses.
• To compare these effects during holidays versus following night shifts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Stanford Sleepiness Scale for subjective sleepiness.
• Employed the Psychomotor Vigilance Test for objective sleepiness and fatigue.
• Assessed automatic auditory cognition using duration mismatch negativity.
• Conducted measurements during holidays and after night shifts, with statistical analysis using Shapiro-Wilk, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Main Results:

• Significantly higher scores on the Stanford Sleepiness Scale and longer reaction times on the Psychomotor Vigilance Test were observed after night shifts compared to holidays.
• No significant differences were found in the peak latency and amplitude of duration mismatch negativity between the two periods.
• These findings were consistent across most age groups, excluding those in their 20s.

Conclusions:

• Night shifts significantly elevate sleepiness and fatigue in nurses.
• Despite increased sleepiness and fatigue, automatic auditory cognitive functions remain unaffected by night shifts.
• Age did not demonstrate a significant moderating effect on sleepiness, fatigue, or automatic auditory cognition in this study population.