STRESS REACTIVITY OF INTRAOCULAR-PRESSURE AFTER RELAXATION TRAINING IN OPEN-TANGLE GLAUCOMA PATIENTS

The present study was based on the hypothesis that stress may contribu te to increased intraocular pressure (IOP) in open-angle glaucoma pati ents. It is investigated whether IOP reactivity to a mental stressor t est (MST) can be influenced by relaxation training. Twenty three patie nts with open-angle glaucoma were randomly assigned either to a traini ng group (TG) or to a waiting-list control group (CG). Prior to as wel l as after the completion of the training all patients were exposed to the MST. IOP and heart rate as well as self-ratings of psychological strain were assessed three times: (1) at baseline, (2) after expositio n to the stressor, and (3) after a 10-min relaxation phase. Results pr ovide evidence that the MST is a valid procedure to induce psychophysi ological activation and that elevated IOP levels in open-angle glaucom a patients might be provoked by stressing situations. However particip ation in the relaxation training did not influence IOP stress reactivi ty.