NEW STEREOLOGICAL METHODS FOR COUNTING NEURONS
NEW STEREOLOGICAL METHODS FOR COUNTING NEURONS
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DOI：
10.1016/0197-4580(93)90112-o
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发表时间：
1993-07-01
影响因子：
4.2
通讯作者：
WEST, MJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
WEST, MJ
神经元是否随年龄增长而死亡的问题对于理解运动、感觉和认知功能的衰老具有重要意义。然而，经过100多年来对与年龄相关的神经元损失进行量化的尝试，这一根本问题是“争议中的漩涡”，而许多针对这一问题的研究结果“充斥着困惑和看似相互矛盾的数据”(7)。这在很大程度上是因为我们在思考什么构成神经元丢失的证据方面存在缺陷，以及现有的神经元计数方法存在缺陷。在过去的几年里，新一代的体视学原理已经发展起来，使得识别和消除这些缺陷成为可能。虽然现在有一些综述文章简要描述了这些和其他新的体视学原则(4，9，13，14，15，18，23)，但大多数情况下，对新的神经元计数原则的详细描述出现在专门的文献中，并伴随着新的术语和概念，这些术语和概念已经淹没了潜在的用户，并阻碍了它们的采用。在这篇文章中，我描述了神经元计数的新体视学方法所涉及的原理和概念，并讨论了为什么从它们的应用中获得的数据比以前可用的技术所获得的数据有所改进。对切片材料中存在的神经元或任何其他细胞、细胞器或物体进行计数的应用原则的实用指南已作为附录包括在内。
The issue of whether or not neurons die with age is of fundamental importance for understanding senescent decline in motor, sensory, and cognitive functions. Yet after over 100 years of attempts to quantify age-related neuron loss, this fundamental issue is ''swirling in controversy'' and the results of numerous studies addressing this issue ''rife with confusion and seemingly contradictory data'' (7). This is in large part due to deficiencies in the way we have thought about what constitutes evidence for neuron loss and deficiencies in the methods that have been available for counting neurons. Over the past several years, a new generation of stereological principles have been developed that have made it possible to identify and eliminate these deficiencies. Although there are now a number of review articles that briefly describe these and other new stereological principles (4,9,13,14,15,18,23), for the most part detailed descriptions of the new principles for counting neurons are found in specialized literature and are accompanied by new terms and concepts that have overwhelmed potential users and inhibited their adoption. In this essay, I describe the principles and concepts that are involved in the new stereological approach to neuron counting and discuss why the data obtained from their application represent improvements over those obtained with previously available techniques. A practical guide to the application of the principles to counting neurons or any other cell, organelle, or object present in sectioned material has been included as an appendix.