File:Your Brain Health and the Workplace.webm

English: Epidemiology and surveillance studies have identified shift work as a risk factor for diseases involving the blood vessels. In particular, shift work has been associated with stroke, but what aspect of shift work is the cause is unknown because shift work is an umbrella term that covers many types of work schedules. We do know many shift workers have a problem sleeping so they get less sleep and often their sleep is poor. Our work is determining how compromised sleep affects the brain areas affected by stroke as well as the damage caused by stroke. To date we have found shortened sleep produces many gene and protein changes in the brain areas most affected by ischemic stroke.