Shift work 'ages the brain', study suggests

ConclusionThe researchers conclude that, “shift work was associated with impaired cognition”, but as this was found at the start of the study, it cannot prove that shift work was the cause. It is possible that people who performed shift work differed in baseline cognitive ability from those who didn’t, which may be related to various other factors (such as educational attainment). To prove cause and effect, the study would need to assess cognitive ability in individuals before any exposure to shift work. Further limitations of this study include that in each analysis, the control group considered never to have been exposed to shift work may actually have had up to 50 days of shift work per year. A more rigorous criteria for the control group, such as working no days of shift work per year, may have been more useful.  It's not possible to draw firm conclusions about the cause of the association seen, as there was such a wide range of shift work patterns grouped together. It is also not known the type of shift work undertaken (for example, whether in a professional or more manual occupation). The conclusion that cognitive function recovers five years after stopping rotating shifts is also not proven by this study. The researchers performed this section of the analysis using the information obtained at baseline only. They did not compare the cognition of individuals during periods of rotating shift work with their cognition five years after stopping. They compared people ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Mental health Neurology Source Type: news