St Mary’s Academics Research Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Military Clearance Divers

Researchers from the Faculty of Sport, Technology and Health Sciences at St Mary’s University, Twickenham (SMU) have used new technology to investigate the impact of reduced sleep on brain activity during cognitive tasks in Military Clearance Diver trainees.

SMU’s Jazmin Morrone and Prof Charles Pedlar presented their research findings at the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting in Boston last week. The ACSM Annual Meeting is a comprehensive sports medicine and exercise science conference held in a different American city each year.

Professor Stephen Patterson and Associate Professor Sarah Coakley at SMU also worked on the project, alongside researchers from the University of Chichester, Oxford Brookes University, Australian Catholic University, and an Independent Sleep Expert in Farnborough.

Funded by the UK’s Ministry of Defence, the research project used a novel dry-electrode electroencephalogram (EEG) system to identify fatigue-based markers in the brain activity of sleep deprived Military Clearance Divers while they performed cognitive tasks.

Seven Military Clearance Diver trainees underwent two sets of five-day data collection periods. These periods were divided into a baseline phase in which the divers had a regular workload and slept a recommended amount, and a 'live-in' phase in which the divers were subject to an increased workload and reduced sleep duration.

The data revealed significant increases in the divers’ theta and alpha power spectrum densities during a reaction-timed task in the reduced-sleep 'live-in' phase compared to the baseline phase.

These findings contribute to the growing research on the neural impacts of sleep deprivation, as well as offering practical insights on enhancing cognitive performance and safety in demanding environments such as military operational settings.

Speaking on the ACSM conference Jazmin Morrone said, “ACSM truly was a lively and vibrant event. It was remarkable being surrounded by such expansive knowledge and expertise, with the conference providing an incredible opportunity to present our research. It was great to have our work so well received. This ultimately sparked fascinating conversations, particularly on the insights offered by brain-based neurophysiological markers of fatigue.

“Our findings, which highlight significant changes in brain activity using novel dry-electrode EEG technology, underscore the potential for detecting neuronal modulation associated with fatigue. This is especially important for its applications in high-stake operational settings."