title: Stress and fertility: some modalities of investigation and treatment in couples with unexplained infertility in Dublin.
abstract: The role of stress in infertility, and its treatment, is reviewed in various groups of couples labeled "unexplained infertile." A simplified profile of stress markers based upon basal prolactin estimations and psychological measurements found infertile couples more stressed than fertile controls and revealed a sub-group of women characterized as having significantly high psychological stress scores and intermittent elevations of prolactin (spikers). This group was effectively treated with a combination of clomiphene citrate and bromocriptine. However, attention to the failures as well as the successes suggests optimum benefit to the patients might involve not only provision of a good clinic ambiance and pharmacological preparations, but also relaxation therapies such as Autogenic Training, which significantly lowered psychological and biochemical stress marker scores.
mesh_terms: D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002996:Clomiphene / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D002996:Clomiphene; D001971:Bromocriptine; D011388:Prolactin