[Effect of mental and physical stress on intraocular pressure--a pilot study].
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of phasic stressors on intraocular pressure (IOP).


METHODS
We exposed 15 ophthalmologically and systemically healthy non-smoking subjects (m:f = 8:7; mean age 25.4 years) to both bicycle ergometry physical stress and a computer-game psychological stress. IOP, blood pressure, and subjective stress were measured. To adjust for between-subject variance, we calculated intra-subject z-scores based on IOP values. Because of the habituation occurring during repeated tonometric measurements, we tested the significance of the difference between the observed and expected IOP z-values for each of the stressors. The expected IOP value was the mean of the pre- and post-stress relaxation-period values. Student's t-tests were used to assess the impact of the stressors on blood pressure.


RESULTS
Both stressors increased the systolic blood pressure, but only under mental stress was the intraocular-pressure increase statistically significant (p = 0.048).


CONCLUSIONS
The selective increase in intraocular pressure during mental stress by similar reaction of blood pressure to both stressors is a hint for possible different regulation circuits in the autonomic nerve system for intraocular- and blood pressure, respectively. Additionally, it was possible to demonstrate that mental stress could lead to a rise in intraocular pressure.
Universitäts-Augenklinik, Tübingen.
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Brody
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D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*