Overwork Tied to Structural Changes in Brains of Health Care Workers

Findings show changes in specific regions of the brain

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Overwork in health care workers is associated with structural brain changes, particularly in regions linked to cognition and emotion, according to a study published online May 13 in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

Wonpil Jang, Ph.D., from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues investigated the effects of overwork on brain structure. The analysis included voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and an atlas-based analysis of 110 health care workers (overworked [≥52 hours/week]: 32 workers; not overworked: 78 workers).

The researchers found that overworked individuals showed significant changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation. In an atlas-based analysis, there was a 19 percent increase in left caudal middle frontal gyrus volume of the overworked group versus the nonoverworked group. In 17 regions, VBM showed peak increases, including in the middle frontal gyrus, insula, and superior temporal gyrus. There was a positive association between weekly working hours and brain volume changes in the middle frontal gyrus and insula.

“These findings provide novel neurobiological evidence linking prolonged working hours to structural brain changes, emphasizing the need for further research to understand the long-term cognitive and emotional implications of overwork,” the authors write.