Relationships among shift work, hair cortisol concentration and sleep disorders: a cross-sectional study in China

Zhang, Yu; Shen, Jiayang; Zhou, Ziqi; Sang, Lingli; Zhuang, Xun; Chu, Minjie; Tian, Tian; Xiao, Jing; Lian, Yulong

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038786

Cited by 23 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…With an increase in age, the secretion of cortisol increased. However, we did not observe an association between increased time engaged in night-shift work and cortisol levels, nor was there a significant correlation between BMI and cortisol levels, which is inconsistent with previous findings (31)(32)(33)(34). Our failure to detect an association may be related to the small sample size.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Circadian Rhythm Disorders and Corresponding Functional Brain Abnormalities in Young Female Nurses: A Preliminary Study

Bai

Wang

et al. 2021

Front. Neurol.

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Objective: Shift work is associated with a decrease in melatonin level and perturbation of the circadian rhythm; however, it is unknown if these lead to functional brain changes. In this study, we investigated whether circadian rhythm disorders caused by shift work are related to changes in brain functional connectivity (FC) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) using whole-brain resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).Methods: This prospective case-control study included nine female night shift nurses and nine age-matched female day work nurses with normal sleep rhythms. To assess sleep quality and mood, participants were asked to complete questionnaires. Serum melatonin and cortisol levels were measured. ReHo of whole-brain resting-state function and seed-based FC of the bilateral hypothalamus were compared between groups. Variables that differed significantly between groups were used to examine the association between questionnaire scores and hormone levels and fMRI data.Results: The night shift nurses had significantly lower sleep quality and melatonin levels; lower ReHo activation in the bilateral cerebellar hemisphere and higher ReHo in the bilateral occipital lobe and left parietal lobe; and higher FC from the hypothalamus to the right cingulate gyrus, right putamen, and vermis than did the day shift nurses. Activation of the right cerebellar hemisphere left superior parietal gyrus, and the right superior occipital gyrus was correlated with sleep quality scores. Moreover, activation of the right cerebellar hemisphere (r = 0.583, P = 0.011) was correlated with melatonin levels, and higher sleepiness scores were associated with stronger FC between the hypothalamus and vermis (r = 0.501, P = 0.034).Conclusions: Circadian rhythm disorder caused by night shift work can lead to a decrease in sleep quality and melatonin level, as well as a series of changes in brain FC and ReHo.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Circadian Rhythm Disorders and Corresponding Functional Brain Abnormalities in Young Female Nurses: A Preliminary Study

Bai

Wang

et al. 2021

Front. Neurol.

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“…Those with average and above-average WRTS showed a positive correlation between cortisol levels and sleep disturbances. This finding is in line with previous studies showing an association between HCC and sleep disturbances in occupational settings (Wang et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2020). Notably, our study is the first to demonstrate such an association in a sample of traumatized individuals.…”

Section: Sopp Michael Lass-hennemann Haim-nachum and Lommensupporting

confidence: 94%

“…These associations are of specific interest due to the strong bidirectional links between cortisol levels and sleep physiology (Born et al, 1988;Rodenbeck et al, 2002). Correspondingly, studies in non-trauma-related occupational settings demonstrate that higher HCC is linked with greater sleep disturbances (Wang et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2020). Moreover, research shows that posttraumatic sleep disturbances are one of the most frequent comorbidities of PTSD (70-91%; Colvonen et al, 2018), while simultaneously indicating that they are not just a symptom of PTSD.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Associations between Hair Cortisol, PTSD Symptoms, and Sleep Disturbances in a Sample of Firefighters with Duty-related Trauma Exposure

Sopp

Michael

Lass‐Hennemann

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Several studies have found evidence of altered cortisol levels in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Based on these findings, it is assumed that these patients may show signs of cortisol dysregulation after trauma. Posttrauma cortisol levels are thus considered a potential biomarker of PTSD. However, longitudinal studies using indicators of long-term cortisol secretion (such as hair cortisol concentrations; HCC) are scarce. The current study investigated prospective associations between HCC and PTSD symptoms in a sample of Dutch firefighters taking into account varying levels of work-related trauma severity. In addition, we assessed posttraumatic sleep disturbances as a secondary outcome measure to investigate whether effects generalize to this frequent comorbidity of PTSD. Three hundred seventy-one Dutch firefighters with a mean of 14.01 years of work experience were included in the analyses. Baseline assessment included the collection of hair samples and the measurement of work-related trauma severity, PTSD symptoms, and sleep disturbances. PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbance were re-assessed after six and twelve months. Multilevel analyses indicate a significant positive correlation between HCC and baseline PTSD symptoms in those with average or above-average work-related trauma severity. A similar pattern was evident for posttraumatic sleep disturbances at baseline. Moreover, higher HCC predicted more posttraumatic sleep disturbances after 6 months in participants with above-average work-related trauma severity. No other associations emerged for PTSD symptoms or posttraumatic sleep disturbances at six or twelve months. As such, our study supports the existence of a cross-sectional association between HCC and trauma symptoms, which may vary for different levels of subjective trauma severity. The longitudinal stability of this association should be reinvestigated by future research.

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“…The relationship between hair cortisol and sleep disorders has not been investigated in depth. A recent study has suggested HCC as a biomarker for sleep disorders caused by shift work [ 133 ]. The authors reported that workers with high HCC had a higher prevalence of sleep disorders compared with workers with low and intermediate HCC levels [ 133 ].…”

Section: Cortisol and Sleepmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent study has suggested HCC as a biomarker for sleep disorders caused by shift work [ 133 ]. The authors reported that workers with high HCC had a higher prevalence of sleep disorders compared with workers with low and intermediate HCC levels [ 133 ]. Similarly, in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients, higher HCC levels were significantly associated with increased sleep complaints [ 134 ].…”

Section: Cortisol and Sleepmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hair Cortisol Concentration as a Biomarker of Sleep Quality and Related Disorders

Mlili

Ahabrach

Cauli

2021

Life

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Cortisol is the end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and its production is increased mainly in stressful situations or in chronic disorders accompanied by stress enhancement. Altered cortisol concentrations have been reported in a number of neuropsychiatric diseases and sleep disorders. Cortisol concentrations have been measured using several methods, and in several matrixes, such as blood, saliva, and urine. However, lately, hair cortisol, for several reasons, has emerged as a promising biomarker of long-term retrospective HPA activation. Several experimental approaches for cortisol measurement with the corresponding concentration reference ranges and a summary of findings from scientific literature on this field are presented. There is evidence of a close relationship between HPA functional alteration and the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. Sleep disorders are the most common manifestation in several neuropsychiatric conditions, and have also been associated to cortisol alterations in both adults and children. Many studies indicate that hair cortisol constitutes a valuable tool for further contributing to existing data on salivary, plasma, or urinary cortisol concentrations in patients with sleep disorders.

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Relationships among shift work, hair cortisol concentration and sleep disorders: a cross-sectional study in China

Cited by 23 publications

References 25 publications

Circadian Rhythm Disorders and Corresponding Functional Brain Abnormalities in Young Female Nurses: A Preliminary Study

Circadian Rhythm Disorders and Corresponding Functional Brain Abnormalities in Young Female Nurses: A Preliminary Study

Longitudinal Associations between Hair Cortisol, PTSD Symptoms, and Sleep Disturbances in a Sample of Firefighters with Duty-related Trauma Exposure

Hair Cortisol Concentration as a Biomarker of Sleep Quality and Related Disorders

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