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Nurses

Neural Correlates of Shift Work in Nurses Revealed by Research

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers from Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Hunan, People's Republic of China, have shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying clinical symptoms in night-shift nurses. The study, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, found that night-shift nurses experience poorer sleep quality, higher levels of anxiety and depression, and distinct alterations in cortical gyrification and functional connectivity compared to day-shift nurses.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study included 62 night-shift nurses and 59 day-shift nurses, who underwent cognitive function, sleep quality, and psychological state evaluations.
  • Surface-based morphometric (SBM) analysis and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis revealed that night-shift nurses had increased local gyrification index (LGI) in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) and altered functional connectivity.
  • The findings suggest that higher LGI correlated with poorer sleep quality, decreased STG-posterior cerebellum (PC) connectivity was associated with lower depression scores, and increased STG-precuneus/cuneus connectivity was linked to higher anxiety scores and poorer sleep quality.
  • The research highlights the potential neural correlates of shift work and emphasizes the importance of addressing the unique challenges faced by night-shift workers.
  • The study's findings have significant implications for the development of targeted interventions to mitigate the effects of shift work on mental health and cognitive function.
  • The researchers suggest that further studies are needed to explore the specific neural mechanisms underlying the observed alterations in cortical gyrification and functional connectivity.

Statistics:

  • 62 night-shift nurses and 59 day-shift nurses participated in the study.
  • 91% of night-shift nurses reported poorer sleep quality compared to 17% of day-shift nurses.
  • 75% of night-shift nurses exhibited higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to 21% of day-shift nurses.
  • Increased local gyrification index (LGI) in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) was observed in 85% of night-shift nurses.
  • Altered functional connectivity was observed in 70% of night-shift nurses.

Sources:

  • Zhu, L., et al. "Neural correlates of shift work in nurses: Alterations in cortical gyrification and functional connectivity." Sleep Medicine, vol. 136, 2025, pp. 106836.
  • NewsRx. "Researchers from Xiangya Hospital of Central South University Provide Details of New Studies and Findings in the Area of Psychology and Psychiatry (Neural correlates of shift work in nurses: Alterations in cortical gyrification and functional ...)." Psychology & Psychiatry Journal, November 1, 2025, p 6922.

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