(safetynews.co.nz) - A pooled data analysis published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine has linked shift work with poorer working memory and slower mental processing speed, as well as impaired alertness, visual focus, impulse control and situational response. Researchers suggest this may heighten the risk of workplace injuries and errors.
Shift work throws the internal body clock (circadian rhythm) out of step with the normal light-dark cycle. It has already been linked to serious health issues including sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, mood disorders, and substance abuse, but its potential impact on higher brain function, such as mental processing speed and working memory, wasn’t always clear.
In a bid to resolve these uncertainties, the researchers scoured research databases for studies looking at the impact of shift work on cognitive performance in working adults.
