Thromboelastographic Study of Psychophysiological Stress

Abstract

Thromboelastography (TEG) is drawing more attention for clinical and laboratory studies of hemostasis. It has been applied to evaluate the effects of both psychological and physiological stress on whole blood coagulation from the onset of the coagulation cascade through clot formation, to the end with fibrinolysis. We conducted a comprehensive review on the applications of TEG for assessment of different stressors, ranging from physical exercise to emotional situations. The methodology is unique in terms of instrumentation, the methods to activate blood coagulation, the type of blood (citrated vs fresh blood), and study settings (in vitro vs in vivo vs clinical trials). Thromboelastography has most often been used to study the effects of physiological stress. The author’s own work and future directions are discussed as well. The review would facilitate future development of TEG for evaluating hemostasis and potential pathological pathways in response to various forms of stress.