This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Camacho, A. Articles by Dimsdale, J. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Camacho, A. Articles by Dimsdale, J. E. Related Collections Sympathetic Nervous System Other Cardiovascular Medicine Hematology Reviews

Platelets and Psychiatry: Lessons Learned From Old and New Studies

From the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA.

Address reprint requests to: Joel E. Dimsdale, MD, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093-0804. jdimsdale{at}ucsd.edu

Platelets play an important role not only in hemostasis but also in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease. The complex interactions among the vascular endothelium, platelets, and blood components are one of the most exciting research areas today. This review addresses some fundamentals of platelet physiology and examines why platelets are interesting probes for neurophysiology. Results of current studies suggest that platelets are affected by diverse stressors, including psychological ones, and that platelets offer an interesting vantage point for understanding the neurophysiology of various psychiatric disorders. We also describe how platelets have been used for various types of research, including studies of stress associated with cardiovascular disease and studies of platelets in psychopharmacological research. Finally, we examine some of the psychiatric literature related to platelets; these studies range from case studies from the 1920s to contemporary experimental studies.

Key Words: platelets • psychopathology • stress • psychophysiology.

Abbreviations: ADP = adenosine diphosphate; AMP = adenosinemonophosphate; ATP = adenosine triphosphate; ß-TG =ß-thromboglobulin; CAD = coronary artery disease; GP =glycoprotein; IL = interleukin; MAO = monoamine oxidase; PBR = platelet benzodiazepine receptor; PDGF =platelet-derived growth factor; PF-4 = platelet factor 4; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder; SSRI = selectiveserotonin reuptake inhibitor; TGF-ß = transforming growth factorß; 5-HT = 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin).

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Thrall and G. Y.H. Lip Exercise and the Prothrombotic State: A Paradox of Cardiovascular Prevention or an Enhanced Prothrombotic State? Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., February 1, 2005; 25(2): 265 - 266. [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Martinez and J. Ware Mammalian Septin Function in Hemostasis and Beyond Experimental Biology and Medicine, December 1, 2004; 229(11): 1111 - 1119. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. McKinley, J. Stein-Parbury, A. Chehelnabi, and J. Lovas Assessment of Anxiety in Intensive Care Patients By Using the Faces Anxiety Scale Am. J. Crit. Care., March 1, 2004; 13(2): 146 - 152. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Zipfel, A. Schneider, B. Wild, B. Lowe, J. Junger, M. Haass, F.-U. Sack, G. Bergmann, and W. Herzog Effect of Depressive Symptoms on Survival After Heart Transplantation Psychosom Med, September 1, 2002; 64(5): 740 - 747. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. von Kanel, P. J. Mills, C. Fainman, and J. E. Dimsdale Effects of Psychological Stress and Psychiatric Disorders on Blood Coagulation and Fibrinolysis: A Biobehavioral Pathway to Coronary Artery Disease? Psychosom Med, July 1, 2001; 63(4): 531 - 544. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]