Shift work negatively affects the brain's cognitive abilities. Scientists came to this conclusion after analyzing a number of studies. The results of a meta-analysis of 18 studies involving nearly 19,000 people were published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine. The researchers compared data from workers in medicine, law enforcement, IT and others, and then found that in 5 of 6 cases, shift workers' productivity was significantly lower than that of those who did not work in shifts. Impulse control and cognitive response were particularly affected in people in shift work, and information processing speed, memory and attentiveness were also affected. Interestingly, the type of work had no effect on switching between tasks. According to scientists, the main harm to health shift work is due to the failure of circadian rhythms, which leads to sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and other problems. At the same time, the effect of shift work on some brain functions, such as information processing speed and memory, was unknown.