Assessment of memory changes in women before, during, and after In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment or fertility preservation therapies

IVF treatments or fertility preservation treatments are accompanied by sharp hormonal changes. The existing literature indicates a clear association between these hormonal changes and memory functions. Studies in women treated with Leuprolide have shown a significant decline in memory performance, particularly in delayed recall, as well as impairment in fine motor coordination, indicating the sensitivity of memory functions to hypoestrogenism (estrogen deficiency) (Varney, 1993). In addition, women treated with GnRH agonists have been reported to show a higher frequency of complaints regarding short-term memory and prospective memory problems (Newton et al., 1996). Neurocognitive studies have shown that progesterone and allopregnanolone influence amygdala activity and lead to impairment in recognition memory in healthy women (van Wingen et al., 2007). In contrast, it has been found that very high estradiol levels, as occur during the ovarian stimulation phase, do not cause short-term cognitive decline (Leeners et al., 2021). Despite these findings, there is no study that has systematically, objectively, and multidimensionally examined long-term memory functions across the stages of IVF treatments or fertility preservation treatments. In the present study, a multidimensional associative memory paradigm developed within the European COST framework will be used, allowing simultaneous measurement of associative memory, item memory, cued retrieval, metamemory, and unconscious priming.