Computer Adapted Stroop Colour-Word Conflict Test As A Laboratory Stress Model

[LANGUAGE= "English"] Purpose: Stress is blamed as a factor responsible in the pathogenesis of many diseases. In stress literature, instead of initiating daily stress, to activate sympathethic system and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis are preferred. For this reason, we modified the Stroop colour-word interference test as a laboratory stress test.Subjects and Method: We developed a software using visual basic programming language and generated a test composed of 3 sessions each lasting three minutes. Stress response was determined with the test applied to healthy subjects (n=38) who were informed that their performance would be evaluated. Heart rates, blood pressures and plasma cortisol, urinary metanephrine and vanyllylmandelic acid values of the subjects who underwent Stress Test were measured as the evidence of stress system activation.Results: Heart rate and blood pressure increase d significantly throughout the test (p