Study suggests long working hours could alter your brain structure

At a time when there are wider discussions about extending the work hours of employees to a 90-hour work week, researchers are studying the possible effects of overworking on working professionals. 

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S N Subrahmanyan sparked an online debate by recommending a 90-hour work week and suggesting employees should even give up Sundays.  Infosys founder Narayan Murthy had also called for a 70-hour work week last year. 

In one such attempt to understand the impact of overworking, research conducted by two scientists at South Korea’s Chung-Ang University and Yonsei University studied the 'changes' in the brains of the people who worked longer hours.

The study was conducted to understand the effects of overwork on the brain structure and the impact it would have on the workers’ cognitive and emotional health. 

A total of 110 healthcare workers were observed for the research and they were classified into overworked and non-overworked groups. Analysis was made and the results surprised many. 

'Changes in cognition and emotion regions observed'

The study published in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal showed novel neurobiological evidence of changes in the brain structure especially in the regions linked to cognition and emotion in the individuals who worked longer hours. 

It was observed that the overworked individuals exhibited increased brain volume in key regions, such as the middle frontal gyrus, insula and superior temporal gyrus. While it was already known that working long hours had various negative health outcomes, evidence showing changes in the brain structure has underscored the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern and the need for workplace policies that mitigate excessive working hours.

Researchers have called for further study to understand the long-term implications due to overwork on the cognitive and emotional sides of people. 

Health