Effect of examination stress on intraocular pressure in university students

Intraocular pressure (IOP) has been investigated as a possible objective index of mental stressors. Here, we assessed the effect of examination stress on IOP in 33 university students. A repeated-measures design was used with two experimental conditions (examination and control) and two points of measurements (pre- and post-sessions). Also, the cardiovascular response, subjective perceived stress, as well as calculated ocular perfusion pressure and blood-pulse pressure were determined. A Bayesian statistical analysis showed higher IOP values in the examination in comparison to the control condition (BF01 < 0.001). A similar pattern was found for the cardiovascular indices (diastolic and systolic blood pressure, and heart rate), and these findings were corroborated by subjective reports (BF01 < 0.001 in all cases). Our data incorporates evidence in relation to the utility of IOP as an objective marker of examination stress, and it may help in the assessment and management of stress in applied scenarios.