Kennesaw State University psychology student Maria Fata said on May 29 that her recent research found no significant link between overnight-shift work and cognitive decline. Fata, a senior at the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, became interested in the topic after her grandmother was diagnosed with dementia in 2024.
Fata said, “Based only on our dataset, we found that night-shift work did not lead to cognitive decline. It was surprising because many studies show that night-shift workers experience disruptions to their circadian rhythms and other health issues that are known to contribute to cognitive decline.”
Working with Dianhan Zheng, associate professor of psychology, Fata analyzed data from the Midlife in the United States project. The study examined changes in memory and executive functioning over time among individuals who worked overnight or nontraditional shifts. The dataset followed participants across several years, collecting additional information a decade apart between each wave.
Fata also explored how education level and socioeconomic status affected cognitive health. She found that higher levels of education were associated with better cognitive functioning, while lower socioeconomic status correlated with poorer outcomes. Additionally, she observed that night-shift work was linked to higher scores in executive functioning and overall cognition but did not appear to affect episodic memory.
“One possible explanation could be selection effects, where higher functioning individuals are more likely to enter and remain in night-shift work,” Fata said. “Another explanation is adaptation, meaning individuals may adjust to night schedules over time.”
Fata presented her findings at the 2026 Georgia Students in Psychological Science Conference and at the KSU Symposium of Student Scholars. She plans further research this fall by analyzing an additional wave of participant data with Zheng to determine if these patterns continue.
