We are interested in how night shifts impact gut-brain axis and how long the impact lasts remain to be studied. We investigated the dynamic changes of brain-microbiota relations following night shifts and subsequent recovery days among medical shift workers. Young medical staffs were recruited for the 3-session assessments over the scheduled night shifts (pre-shift, post-shift, and recovery) by measuring (a) sleep metrics, (b) brain functions, (c) gut bacteriome compositions, and (d) cognitive assessments. Participants experienced partial sleep deprivation only during the 5-day night shifts but rapidly returned to baseline after the 4-day recovery, so as the elevated brain fluctuations in the superior frontal gyrus after night shifts. Meanwhile, the night shifts caused elongated connectivity changes of default-mode and dorsal attention networks without recovery. Nevertheless, we did not find prevailing night-shift effects on cognition and gut bacteriome
compositions, except the Gemellaceae concentration and the multi-task performance. Collectively, night shifts may induce prolonged alterations on brain connectivity without impacts on gut bacteriome, suggesting the vulnerable brain functions and the resilient gut bacteriome to the short-term night shifts among medical shift workers.

Reference:

Yao, T., Chao, Y.-P., Huang, C.-M., Lee, H.-C., Liu, C.-Y., Li, K.-W., Hsu, A.-L., Tung, Y.-T.*, Wu, C.W.*, Impacts of Night Shift on Medical Professionals: A Pilot Study of Brain Connectivity and Gut Microbiota. Frontiers in Neuroscience