Unbiased Stereology

Unbiased Stereology, Second Edition is a practical guide to making unbiased 3-D measurements via the microscope. Only those stereological techniques which have been tried and tested by real application are included. Although this technology is essentially mathematical and statistical, the authors do not immerse the reader in complex analysis, but rather provide simple heuristic explanations and references to the original proof, and illustrate the theory by analogies drawn from everyday experience. To give practical experience in application of the techniques, exercises are provided at the end of each chapter, complete with detailed worked answers.

Unbiased Stereology, Second Edition is a practical guide to making unbiased 3-D measurements via the microscope. Only those stereological techniques which have been tried and tested by real application are included. Although this technology is essentially mathematical and statistical, the authors do not immerse the reader in complex analysis, but rather provide simple heuristic explanations and references to the original proof, and illustrate the theory by analogies drawn from everyday experience. To give practical experience in application of the techniques, exercises are provided at the end of each chapter, complete with detailed worked answers.

Stereological methods provide researchers with unparalleled quantitative data from tissue samples and allow for well-evidenced research advances in a broad range of scientific fields. Presenting a concise introduction to the methodology and application of stereological research in neuroscience, Neurostereology provides a fuller understanding of the use of these methods in research and a means for replicating successful scientific approaches. Providing sound footing for future research, Neurostereology is a useful tool for basic and clinical researchers and advanced students looking to integrate these methods into their research.

"An important book for the libraries of professionals in neurobiology, neurology, and neurosurgery." -- Doody's Book Review Service

This update to Peter R. Mouton's pioneering work provides bioscientists with the concepts needed in order to apply the principles and practices of unbiased stereology to research involving biological tissues. Mouton starts with a brief explanation of the history and theory of the process before defining the terms, concepts, and tools of unbiased stereological procedures. He compares and contrasts the procedures with less-exacting approaches to quantitative analysis of biological structure using specific examples from biomedical literature. The book incorporates existing best practices with new methodologies, such as the Rare Event Protocol, while simplifying the dense, often difficult literature on the Subject to show the utility and importance of unbiased stereology. This clear, insightful guide goes a step further than other books on this Subject by demonstrating not only how to use unbiased stereology but also how to interpret and present the results. Written by the official U.S. representative to the International Society for Stereology, this is the most complete, up-to-date resource on the science of unbiased stereology. Those new to bioscience research as well as experienced practitioners will find that Mouton's explanations are the perfect companion for stereology courses and workshops.

In Unbiased Stereology, the authors present a practical guide to making unbiased 3D measurements using microscopy. Stereology is the statistical inference of geometric parameters from spatially sampled information; it is considered unbiased when the test probes are positioned in an appropriately random manner. Now that unbiased stereology is required for nerve-cell counts in neurotoxicology by the FDA and by many journals before the acceptance of an article or study, this book is essential reading. It includes only those stereological techniques that have been tried and tested by actual application. Specific topics covered include: random sampling and random geometry; the estimation of feature volume, surface, length, number and mean particle size; as well as statistics for stereologists.

Stereology is the science that relates three-dimensional structure to the two-dimensional images that can be measured. The most common field of application is in microscopy, both of man-made materials (metals, ceramics, composites, etc.) and of biological tissue samples. This book covers the applications and terminology of both fields. Recent emphasis in stereology is concerned with sampling strategies to avoid bias due to directionality and non-uniformity, and these methods are fully covered. So are the classic techniques that measure size distributions, surface curvature, etc., which are widely useful but not discussed in other recent texts. Finally, most stereology is taught as manual procedures using counting and grids, but this text also covers the use of modern desktop computers for image analysis and processing to obtain and interpret the stereological data.