Research with Chichester Students Highlights Dangers of taking Exams when Dehydrated

As students begin entering the exam period, researchers testing the brains of pupils from Chichester have found that teenagers’ brains work less efficiently when they become dehydrated, making tasks such as problem solving harder.

The research revealed in the prestigious journal Human Brain Mapping and featured in the Sunday Telegraph was a joint study between The Institute of Psychiatry in London, Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge and the Sport and Exercise Sciences department at the University of Chichester.

Dr Marcus Smith, Principal Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester, was one of the senior investigators and he was responsible for recruiting 10 students involved in the study who were from Chichester High School for Boy’s Sixth Form and Chichester College.

The study showed that relatively low levels of dehydration following acute exposure to hot conditions resulted in impaired neural activity in key parts of the student’s brain. This resulted in the brain having to work harder to perform the same task. Students who do not maintain fluid balance whilst revising and subsequently taking exams in a warm exam hall could be placing themselves at a disadvantage in terms of optimising their academic potential.

Dr Smith said: “It is important that students drink a volume of fluid that maintains optimum levels of hydration. This is particularly important when spending extended time in a warm or even hot environment, such as revising outdoors or sitting exams indoors. Dehydration can lead to a range of problems such as headaches, a loss of concentration and premature fatigue.”

The students who took part in this study had to undergo multiple brain scans pre and post acute dehydration. They were asked to perform 90 minutes of exercise before being given a series of problem solving and reaction time tests.

Dr Smith added: “The publication of our findings has provoked a great deal of interest and plans for a follow up study focussing on rehydration strategies are currently being formulated. It would be fantastic to work again with local partners and offer young people an incredible insight into the world of applied human science research.”

Final Preparations being made by University Staff Member ahead of World Record Attempt

A University of Chichester staff member is swapping his computer for the Channel as he puts the finishing touches to his preparation for a world record attempt.

By day, Matt Argyle is the e-learning manager at the University, but away from campus, Matt is one of the country’s leading stand-up paddleboarders. At the end of the month, he will attempt to stand up paddle board across the English Channel from Dover to Calais, raising money for Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and setting a new world record at the same time.

He will be joined by four other colleagues from British Stand Up Paddleboarding Association (BSUPA), the organisation that Matt chairs. Between them, they hope to raise £10,000 for SAS to help in their efforts to clean up the coastal waters of the UK.

Matt said: “SAS has recently received national TV coverage, exposing the scandal of water companies discharging raw sewage into the sea around the UK, threatening the health of potentially anyone who enters the water. During my training, I have seen slicks of sewage in the Solent. This is the same water that my children play in. This is why I support Surfers Against Sewage in their work to raise the profile of this, and in their efforts to clean it up.”

As part of his training regime, Matt and his colleagues followed in the footsteps of Olympic athletes and were subjected to a series of tests at the University of Chichester to assess their current fitness levels. A programme of activities was then designed to increase their stamina and core muscle strength that will be required during the record attempt.

Matt said: “I am now very close to the crossing, and I hope that the training and support that the University of Chichester has given me will pay off. May was the start of the stand up paddle race season in the UK - I have managed to get two third places in the national series so far so I am feeling fit and confident that I am ready to go. I am currently training six times a week, mostly in the water paddling between Selsey and West Wittering depending upon the wind conditions.”

The record attempt is scheduled for a date between 18-25 June, depending on tides and weather. Looking ahead, he said: “Crossing one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world is the bit that worries me. We have a support boat which normally escorts cross channel swimmers over to act as our pilot which should mean we do not get run down, so let’s hope his radar is working.”

Matt is looking to beat the current world record of five hours and nine minutes, set in 2006 by American paddler Michael O’Shaughnessy. If you are interested in sponsoring Matt in his world record attempt, visit his fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/matt-argyle

University Lecturer wins Prestigious German Music Award

The success of a new CD from the University of Chichester’s Head of Keyboard has been underlined by being awarded the prestigious German Record Critics Award.

The award for international concert pianist Jonathan Plowright is the most important CD award in Germany and is the latest in a long list of accolades given to his ‘Hommage a Chopin’, released to commemorate the 200th anniversary year of the birth of Chopin.

It was Gramophone Editor’s Choice in the UK and received the equivalent honour in the French music magazine Diapason. It was also Classic FM CD of the Week in the UK and on Australia’s ABC Classic FM. In the specialist music press and daily newspapers, the CD received five star reviews.

Jonathan’s next CD is to be released in September by Hyperion Records and will feature pieces by JS Bach transcribed for piano by English composers.

Copies of the Chopin album are available by visiting the Hyperion Records website at http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/. Further information about Jonathan can be found on his website http://www.jonathanplowright.com/