The findings of preliminary research indicate that long working hours may alter the structure of the brain, particularly those areas associated with emotional regulation and executive function, such as working memory and problem solving. A research team of scientists at Yonsei University, Chung-Ang University, and Pusan National University, deployed structural brain volume analysis to compare the impact of overwork on specific brain regions in healthcare workers routinely clocking up long working hours, defined as 52 or more hours a week.
Reporting their findings in Occupational & Environmental Medicine (“Overwork and changes in brain structure: a pilot study”), first author Wonpil Jang, PhD, at Yonsei University Department of Biomedical Engineering, together with co-corresponding author Wanhyung Lee, PhD, at Chung-Ang University Department of Preventive Medicine, and colleagues, say that ultimately overwork may induce neuroadaptive changes that might affect cognitive and emotional health.
In their paper, they concluded, “These findings provide novel neurobiological evidence linking prolonged working hours to structural brain changes, emphasising the need for further research to understand the long-term cognitive and emotional implications of overwork … The results underscore the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern and highlight the need for workplace policies that mitigate excessive working hours.”
Long working hours have been linked to heightened risks of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and mental health issues. “Overwork with long working hours has emerged as a critical public health issue in modern societies, with significant implications for both individual well-being and societal productivity,” the team wrote. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that overwork kills more than 800,000 people every year, “… underscoring its profound impact on global health outcomes,” they further pointed out.
While the behavioral and psychological consequences of overwork have been well documented, they added, little is known about its direct effects on brain structure. “Prior research has suggested that chronic stress and insufficient recovery may alter brain morphology, but empirical neuroimaging evidence remains limited.” To explore this further, the team drew on data from the Gachon Regional Occupational Cohort Study (GROCS) and from MRI scans carried out for a research project on the effects of working conditions on brain structure.
From 2021 to 2023, participants in GROCS were invited to have an additional MRI scan, and 137 volunteers agreed, with the final analysis including 110 people, after excluding those with missing data or poor MRI image quality. The participants included 46 health workers, 36 nurses, and 28 physicians. Of these 110 participants, 32 (28%) worked excessive weekly hours—52 hours per week or more—while 78 participants worked standard hours. Data indicated that those putting in long working hours every week were mostly younger (less than 45 years of age), had spent less time in work, and were more highly educated than those clocking up standard hours.
Differences in brain volume were assessed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM)—a neuroimaging technique that identifies and compares regional differences in levels of grey matter—and atlas-based analysis, which uses pre-defined references to identify and label structures in images such as brain scans. “By comparing healthcare workers exposed to long working hours with their counterparts working standard hours, we aimed to identify specific brain regions affected by overwork and explore their potential associations with weekly working hours,” the team stated.
Comparative analyses showed that people who worked 52 or more hours a week displayed significant changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation, unlike participants who worked standard hours every week.
Atlas-based analysis revealed a 19% increase in the volume of the middle frontal gyrus among those clocking up long working hours, compared with those working standard hours. This part of the brain has a major role in various cognitive functions, particularly in the frontal lobe. It is involved in attention, working memory, and language-related processing.
VBM results showed peak increases in 17 regions, including the middle frontal gyrus, the superior frontal gyrus, which is involved in attention, planning, and decision-making, and the insula. The insula has a key role in integrating sensory, motor, and autonomic feedback from the body. It’s involved in emotional processing, self-awareness, and understanding social context. “Using atlas-based brain volume and VBM analysis, we demonstrated significant differences in regions such as the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and insula—areas linked to executive function and emotional regulation,” the investigators stated.
The authors acknowledge that, given their research was carried out as a small observational snapshot study, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. They noted that in the absence of long-term data, it’s unclear whether these structural changes are a consequence of overwork or a predisposing factor.
Even so, the team wrote, “These findings suggest a potential relationship between increased workload and volumetric changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation … Notably, the increased brain volumes observed in overworked individuals may reflect neuroadaptive responses to chronic occupational stress, although the exact mechanisms remain speculative.”
And while the results should be interpreted cautiously, they represent what the scientists suggested is “a meaningful first step in understanding the relationship between overwork and brain health.” They added, “The observed changes in brain volume may provide a biological basis for the cognitive and emotional challenges often reported in overworked individuals. Future longitudinal and multi-modal neuroimaging studies are warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.”
The post Working Long Hours May Alter Brain Structure, Study in Healthcare Workers Finds appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
Reporting their findings in Occupational & Environmental Medicine (“Overwork and changes in brain structure: a pilot study”), first author Wonpil Jang, PhD, at Yonsei University Department of Biomedical Engineering, together with co-corresponding author Wanhyung Lee, PhD, at Chung-Ang University Department of Preventive Medicine, and colleagues, say that ultimately overwork may induce neuroadaptive changes that might affect cognitive and emotional health.
In their paper, they concluded, “These findings provide novel neurobiological evidence linking prolonged working hours to structural brain changes, emphasising the need for further research to understand the long-term cognitive and emotional implications of overwork … The results underscore the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern and highlight the need for workplace policies that mitigate excessive working hours.”
Long working hours have been linked to heightened risks of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and mental health issues. “Overwork with long working hours has emerged as a critical public health issue in modern societies, with significant implications for both individual well-being and societal productivity,” the team wrote. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that overwork kills more than 800,000 people every year, “… underscoring its profound impact on global health outcomes,” they further pointed out.
While the behavioral and psychological consequences of overwork have been well documented, they added, little is known about its direct effects on brain structure. “Prior research has suggested that chronic stress and insufficient recovery may alter brain morphology, but empirical neuroimaging evidence remains limited.” To explore this further, the team drew on data from the Gachon Regional Occupational Cohort Study (GROCS) and from MRI scans carried out for a research project on the effects of working conditions on brain structure.
From 2021 to 2023, participants in GROCS were invited to have an additional MRI scan, and 137 volunteers agreed, with the final analysis including 110 people, after excluding those with missing data or poor MRI image quality. The participants included 46 health workers, 36 nurses, and 28 physicians. Of these 110 participants, 32 (28%) worked excessive weekly hours—52 hours per week or more—while 78 participants worked standard hours. Data indicated that those putting in long working hours every week were mostly younger (less than 45 years of age), had spent less time in work, and were more highly educated than those clocking up standard hours.
Differences in brain volume were assessed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM)—a neuroimaging technique that identifies and compares regional differences in levels of grey matter—and atlas-based analysis, which uses pre-defined references to identify and label structures in images such as brain scans. “By comparing healthcare workers exposed to long working hours with their counterparts working standard hours, we aimed to identify specific brain regions affected by overwork and explore their potential associations with weekly working hours,” the team stated.
Comparative analyses showed that people who worked 52 or more hours a week displayed significant changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation, unlike participants who worked standard hours every week.
Atlas-based analysis revealed a 19% increase in the volume of the middle frontal gyrus among those clocking up long working hours, compared with those working standard hours. This part of the brain has a major role in various cognitive functions, particularly in the frontal lobe. It is involved in attention, working memory, and language-related processing.
VBM results showed peak increases in 17 regions, including the middle frontal gyrus, the superior frontal gyrus, which is involved in attention, planning, and decision-making, and the insula. The insula has a key role in integrating sensory, motor, and autonomic feedback from the body. It’s involved in emotional processing, self-awareness, and understanding social context. “Using atlas-based brain volume and VBM analysis, we demonstrated significant differences in regions such as the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and insula—areas linked to executive function and emotional regulation,” the investigators stated.
The authors acknowledge that, given their research was carried out as a small observational snapshot study, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. They noted that in the absence of long-term data, it’s unclear whether these structural changes are a consequence of overwork or a predisposing factor.
Even so, the team wrote, “These findings suggest a potential relationship between increased workload and volumetric changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation … Notably, the increased brain volumes observed in overworked individuals may reflect neuroadaptive responses to chronic occupational stress, although the exact mechanisms remain speculative.”
And while the results should be interpreted cautiously, they represent what the scientists suggested is “a meaningful first step in understanding the relationship between overwork and brain health.” They added, “The observed changes in brain volume may provide a biological basis for the cognitive and emotional challenges often reported in overworked individuals. Future longitudinal and multi-modal neuroimaging studies are warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.”
The post Working Long Hours May Alter Brain Structure, Study in Healthcare Workers Finds appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.