Some of us in Marcellus have been working 60-hour weeks since we were in secondary school. As we age, we can feel the toll it has taken on us. This piece in the ET says:
“A new study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine has found that working long hours—specifically 52 or more per week—may alter brain structure, particularly in areas linked to memory, attention, and emotional regulation. Researchers from South Korea’s Chung-Ang and Yonsei Universities used MRI scans to compare brain volumes of healthcare workers and observed significant changes in 17 brain regions among those working overtime.”
The ET articles gives more details regarding the specific regions of the brain which are impacted by overwork:
“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 processing.
According 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 concentrating.”
Apparently, this is the first in a family of studies across the world which will show the psychological impact of overwork both on the behaviour of the impacted workers and on the structure of their brain.
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