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The Journal of Neuroscience, 2000, 20:RC66:1-5

RAPID COMMUNICATION
Chronic Jet Lag Produces Cognitive Deficits

Kwangwook Cho^{1, 4}, A. Ennaceur¹, Jon C. Cole^{1, 2}, and Chang Kook Suh³

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Durham, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom, ² Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA United Kingdom, ³ Department of Biophysics and Physiology, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, 402-751 Republic of Korea, and ⁴ Medical Research Council Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, United Kingdom

Traveling across time zones causes disruption to the normal circadian rhythms and social schedules because of travelers' shift in time. As the endogenous circadian timing system adapts slowly to new time cues, the phase relationship between biological rhythms and external time cues are out of synchronization for a period of time. This disturbance of circadian rhythms has been shown to impair physical and psychological health (Winget et al., 1984). To test the effects of repeated jet lag on mental abilities, airline cabin crew were compared with ground crew. Salivary cortisol was used as a physiological marker for circadian disruption. The cabin crew group, who had a history of repeated jet lag, had significantly higher salivary cortisol levels in an average working day. In addition, this elevated level of cortisol was only seen in the same subjects when the cabin crew were on transmeridian flights but not domestic flights. Cabin crew also exhibited cognitive deficits, possibly in working memory, that became apparent after several years of chronic disruption of circadian rhythms.

Key words: jet lag; cortisol; stress; human subject; cognition; memory

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Copyright © 2000 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/00/$05.00/0

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