The potential applicability of neuropsychological evaluation for oocyte donors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of neuropsychological testing identifying cognitive factors of candidates for the anonymous oocyte sharing donation program. Prospective study evaluating testing applicability 24 subfertile women applied for IVF treatment (group A) and were willing to share their oocytes as part of the compensation agreement for assisted conception treatment. Besides good health and women's chronology (<32 yr), all volunteers suffered from either tubal or male factor infertility. Neuropsychological tests focused on the investigation of attention, learning abilities, memory, visual-spatial organization, mental flexibility, and intelligence (IQ). Neuropsychological results of these women were compared to a sample of 25 healthy fertile female volunteers (group B) using Student's t test and p<0.05 was considered significant. There were no significant differences between group responses regarding learning abilities, memory and visual-spatial organization. Women who were candidates for oocyte donation exhibited a significantly higher incidence of attention deficits (12.6 ± 2.4 vs 16.5 ± 2.2; p<0.02), although they had significantly greater scores on mental flexibility (3.2 ± 1.1 vs 2.1 ± 0.7; p<0.02) and IQ (111.05 ± 10.5 vs 98.3 ± 9.4; p<0.01). Two patients were considered not suitable for oocyte donation because neuropsychological testing revealed signs of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy, which were latter confirmed. None of these diagnoses had been previously informed by the patients to the infertility specialist during the history and work-up procedures. The attention deficit presented in the oocyte donor candidates could be resulting from the interference of circumstantial anxiety. These prospective patients depend upon the results of an infertility treatment to remain in the program which is in itself highly stressful. The findings regarding greater mental flexibility in this sample suggest that this could be an essential feature for these women to endure this combined treatment (infertility treatment and the simultaneous oocyte donation). These findings reveal that neuropsychological testing can be a useful complementary instrument in the evaluation of candidates for oocyte donation and third-party assisted reproduction. Additional data should provide evidence to make neuropsychological testing as an integral part of the evaluation protocol to third-party reproductive candidates.