title: Stress matters! Psychophysiological and emotional loadings of pregnant women undergoing fetal magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While the application of fetal MRI in high-risk pregnant women is steadily rising, little is known about the psychological consequences of this procedure. The aim of the present study was to investigate emotional and psychophysiological reactions of females undergoing fetal MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty women (17-44 ys), assigned for fetal MRI, were included. Affective state was assessed by standardized measures of anxiety, emotional states and depressive symptoms. Stress coping strategies were assessed using a self-report questionnaire. Stress responses were determined using skin conductance levels (SCL) during fetal MRI as well as measurement of salivary cortisol levels immediately before and after fetal MRI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of fast and slow physiological stress measures revealed significant differences between women with and without a supporting person accompanying them to the examination. For SCLs, lower levels of stress during MRI emerged in accompanied women. Women with well-marked stress-coping-strategies experienced lower levels of stress during the examination. Although fast and slow stress measures before and after MRI did not show significant correlations, a significant difference of SCLs pre and post examination was clearly detectable, as well as a trend of decreased cortisol levels for both time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results imply that the elevation of SCLs is an accurate instrument to assess fast stress alterations in patients during fetal MRI. Stress coping strategies and whether women are accompanied or not play an important role in the experience of anxiety and depressive symptoms. These factors should be considered especially in patients with high-risk-pregnancies to improve patient care.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany. bderntl@ukaachen.de.|Jülich Aachen Research Alliance JARA BRAIN, Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich, Germany. bderntl@ukaachen.de.|Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, 520425, Jülich, Germany. bderntl@ukaachen.de.
authors: Birgit
authors: B
authors: Derntl
authors: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. jacqueline.krajnik@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors: Jacqueline
authors: J
authors: Krajnik
authors: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. kathrin.kollndorfer@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors: Kathrin
authors: K
authors: Kollndorfer
authors: Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Australia. manfred.bijak@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors: Manfred
authors: M
authors: Bijak
authors: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. ursula.nemec@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors: Ursula
authors: U
authors: Nemec
authors: Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Australia. katharina.leither@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Leithner
authors: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. daniela.prayer@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Prayer
authors: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. veronika.schoepf@uni-graz.at.
authors: Veronika
authors: V
authors: Schöpf
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000473:pathology*; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012944:Social Support; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone