title: Do combined psychological stress examinations predict pregnancy outcome in an assisted reproductive technology program?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate prospectively if the pregnancy outcome in infertile women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) is predictable by a combination of psychological stress examinations on the day of embryo/blastocyst transfer.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2012 to May 2012, 114 women aged 42 years old or less underwent transfer of morphologically-good embryo/blastocyst(s) in the present in vitro fertilization (IVF) center. Immediately before the transfer, salivary secretion was obtained and frozen. α-amylase and cortisol concentrations were quantified using biochemical assays. In addition, patients were asked to answer General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ28) and Zung's Self Rating Depression Scale (SDS) following transfer. The results were compared between the pregnant group and non-pregnant group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the age of the infertile couples between the pregnant group and non-pregnant group as well as body mass index of the infertile women. The GHQ28 and SDS scores were similar between the two groups, as were the salivary α-amylase and cortisol concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This prospective study failed to demonstrate the predictivity of the pregnancy outcome by psychological stress examinations in infertile women in an ART program, even though these tests were used in combination.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitaya
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funabiki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001755:Blastocyst; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007246:Infertility; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone