Influence of mental stress on intraocular pressure and visual field testing: is there a white coat syndrome in glaucoma?

Purpose To investigate the effects of mental stress stimulus on intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement and visual field (VF) testing. Methods Patients with open angle glaucoma underwent a baseline IOP measurement and VF testing. Afterwards, they completed a computerized mental stress test (Stroop test) which is a known standardized method to induce mental stress. After test completion, patients underwent a second IOP measurement and VF testing. Results Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients were enrolled. Mean age was 67.0 ± 9.5 years (range 47–84 years). The mean baseline IOP was 15.0 mmHg, and after the Stroop mental stress test, IOP increased to 16.0 mm Hg ( P