Latest news with #GachonRegionalOccupationalCohortStudy
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Your job might be quietly changing your brain structure and you don't even know yet: Study
Study Focused on Healthcare Workers Structural Brain Changes Detected Experts Call for Workplace Reforms As longer workweeks become the norm in many professions, concerns about their impact on health are growing. Beyond fatigue and burnout, new research suggests that consistently working extended hours could be reshaping the brain itself. A recent study by South Korean researchers has found that individuals putting in 52 or more hours a week may experience structural changes in regions of the brain linked to memory, emotional control, and decision-making—raising serious questions about the long-term effects of overwork on mental and cognitive study, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, was conducted by researchers from Chung-Ang University and Yonsei University in South Korea. It analysed data from 110 healthcare professionals as part of the Gachon Regional Occupational Cohort Study (GROCS). Participants were split into two groups: those who worked standard hours and those who worked at least 52 hours a week—the maximum legal weekly limit in South group logging longer hours was generally younger, more highly educated, and had less work experience than those with regular schedules. To explore how extended work hours may affect the brain, researchers performed MRI scans and used voxel-based morphometry (VBM), a method that examines changes in brain brain scans revealed notable differences. Individuals working long hours showed a 19% increase in volume in the left caudal middle frontal gyrus—a region involved in attention, memory, and language processing. Additionally, researchers observed peak volume increases in 17 brain areas, including the superior frontal gyrus and the insula. These regions are known to support functions such as emotional regulation, decision-making, self-awareness, and sensory to the researchers, these volume increases may indicate a neuroadaptive response to chronic workplace stress. While the precise mechanisms remain unclear, the findings point to a possible biological basis for common complaints among overworked individuals, such as emotional imbalance, mental fatigue, and difficulty Yul Choi, a co-author of the study and professor at Yonsei University, noted that while these changes might be reversible if environmental stressors are reduced, the brain may not immediately return to its original state. He emphasised that overwork should be treated as a serious occupational health Pega from the World Health Organization, who previously led research into the health risks of overwork, described the new findings as important evidence. He said the study supports broader research showing how long working hours significantly impact physical and mental health . However, he also pointed out the study's limitations, including its small sample size and narrow demographic of South Korean healthcare workers. He called for more research across different sectors and Gifford, a principal research fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies in the UK, added that this study offers physiological proof of what many already observe—working excessively can affect mental wellbeing. He said the use of brain scans gives a clearer picture of how overwork may be structurally altering the the study is still in its early stages and calls for more comprehensive research, it brings to light a critical issue: long working hours may do more than exhaust the body—they might be reshaping the brain. As evidence continues to grow, experts stress the need for workplace policies that prioritise employee health and set firm limits on working hours to prevent long-term cognitive and emotional harm.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Working long hours? Here's how it changes the brain
A recent study reveals that prolonged working hours can induce alterations in brain structure, potentially impacting cognitive and emotional well-being. Researchers analyzing brain scans of healthcare workers found significant changes in regions governing executive functions and emotional regulation among those working over 52 hours weekly. Are you working longer hours? Well, we don't know how it would reflect on your paycheck, but it's certainly going to alter your brain. Yes, that's right. A new study has found that long working hours could alter the brain structure and even affect your cognitive and emotional health. A new study found that long working hours may alter the structure of the brain. The findings of the study are published in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal. Long working hours and the brain The preliminary findings from the new study suggest that working long hours changes the structure of the brain , particularly the areas associated with emotional regulation and executive function, such as working memory and problem-solving. The study has confirmed that overwork may lead to neuroadaptive changes, which affect cognitive and emotional health. Previous studies have found that long working hours are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and mental health issues. Overwork kills more than 800,000 people every year, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The study Though the behavioural and psychological consequences of working overtime were known, its neurological mechanisms and anatomical changes weren't explored. The researcher explored this, and to understand it they analysed structural brain volume and compared the impact of overwork on specific brain regions in healthcare workers, who regularly worked 52 or more hours a week. They analysed data from the Gachon Regional Occupational Cohort Study (GROCS) and MRI scans carried out for a research project on the effects of working conditions on brain structure. The participants in the GROCS were asked to take an additional MRI scan, and the final analysis included 110 people after excluding those with missing data or poor MRI image quality. Among the participants, most of them were clinicians: 32 worked excessive weekly hours (28%); 78 worked standard hours. The findings The researchers noticed that people who were working long hours every week were significantly younger, had less job experience, but were more highly educated than those clocking up regular hours. The researchers used voxel-based morphometry (VBM), a brain imaging technique, to understand the changes. They found that people who worked 52 or more hours a week had significant changes in the regions of the brain associated with executive function and emotional regulation, compared to those who worked regular hours. People working long hours had a 19% larger volume in the middle frontal gyrus compared to those with standard working hours. This part of the brain has a crucial role in various cognitive functions, particularly in the frontal lobe. It's linked with attention, working memory, and language-related processing. VBM 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. This includes emotional processing, self-awareness, and understanding social context. 'While the results should be interpreted cautiously due to the exploratory nature of this pilot study, they represent a meaningful first step in understanding the relationship between overwork and brain health,' the researchers said. 'Notably, the increased brain volumes observed in overworked individuals may reflect neuroadaptive responses to chronic occupational stress, although the exact mechanisms remain speculative,' 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 results underscore the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern and highlight the need for workplace policies that mitigate excessive working hours,' they said.
Arab Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
Long work hours reshape the brain: A hidden health risk
NEW YORK, May 14: Long working hours may cause structural changes in the brain, particularly in areas associated with emotional regulation and executive function, including working memory and problem-solving, according to preliminary research published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. The findings suggest that overwork could lead to neuroadaptive changes that may impact both cognitive and emotional health. The study highlights the well-established link between long working hours and heightened risks of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and mental health issues. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that overwork results in more than 800,000 deaths annually. While the behavioral and psychological consequences of overwork are fairly well understood, the underlying neurological mechanisms and anatomical changes have not been fully explored, the researchers note. To investigate further, the researchers used structural brain volume analysis to examine the impact of long working hours on specific brain regions in healthcare workers who routinely work more than 52 hours a week. Data from the Gachon Regional Occupational Cohort Study (GROCS) and MRI scans from a project on the effects of working conditions on brain structure were used for this analysis. Participants in GROCS were asked to undergo an additional MRI scan, and after excluding those with missing data or poor-quality scans, the final analysis included 110 participants. Among these, 32 worked excessive weekly hours (28%) while 78 worked standard hours. Notably, those working longer hours were significantly younger, had less work experience, and were more highly educated than those working standard hours. The researchers used voxel-based morphometry (VBM), a neuroimaging technique that identifies regional differences in gray matter, and atlas-based analysis, which compares brain scan structures to pre-defined references. The comparative analysis revealed significant changes in the brain regions of those working 52 or more hours a week, particularly those related to executive function and emotional regulation. For instance, the atlas-based analysis showed a 19% increase in the volume of the middle frontal gyrus in individuals working long hours compared to those working standard hours. This area of the brain is crucial for cognitive functions such as attention, working memory, and language processing. VBM revealed peak increases in 17 regions, including the middle frontal gyrus, the superior frontal gyrus (involved in attention, planning, and decision-making), and the insula (key in emotional processing, self-awareness, and understanding social context). While this study is small and observational, and no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, the researchers emphasize that it represents an important first step in understanding the link between overwork and brain health. The study also suggests that the observed changes in brain volume may reflect neuroadaptive responses to chronic occupational stress, although the exact mechanisms remain unclear. The researchers note, "These changes in brain volume could provide a biological basis for the cognitive and emotional challenges often experienced by overworked individuals. Future longitudinal studies with multiple imaging methods are needed to confirm these findings and further explore the underlying mechanisms." The study's conclusions underscore the need for addressing overwork as a significant occupational health issue and call for workplace policies to reduce excessive working hours.
