Prefrontal cortex hypoactivation in response to sleep-related pictures in shift workers

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Occupational Health
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Shift work is associated with mental health issues, including sleep disturbances and cognitive impairment.
• Neural responses to sleep-related stimuli may differ based on shift work schedules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in brain activity in response to sleep-related stimuli between shift-worker (SW) nurses and healthy controls (HCs).
• To assess the relationship between sleep problems and brain activity in SWs.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a task involving viewing sleep-related and neutral pictures.
• Assessment of subjective sleep quality via questionnaires and sleep diaries.
• Objective sleep and 24-hour rest-activity rhythm evaluation using actigraphy.

Main Results:

• Shift workers showed significantly lower activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) and lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) when viewing sleep-related versus neutral pictures compared to controls.
• DMPFC activity negatively correlated with subjective sleep problems (insomnia, fatigue).
• LPFC activity correlated with 24-hour rest-activity rhythm parameters.

Conclusions:

• Reduced prefrontal cortex activation in SWs may indicate diminished attentional control over sleep and increased rumination.
• Findings elucidate neurobiological mechanisms of sleep-related issues in SWs.
• Results may inform interventions for mental health in shift workers.