Modern Techniques in Neuroscience Research, edited by Uwe Windhorst and Håkan Johansson

Abstract

Springer Verlag, 1999. £114.50 (1325 pages)ISBN 3-540-64460-1This weighty book comprises 46 chapters in over 1300 pages in hardback-bound format. The chapters are written by individuals or groups of workers who are experts in their fields, covering a diverse range of neuroscience techniques. It should be regarded more as a reference book, rather than as a lab manual. A particularly useful feature of the book is that it comes with a CD-ROM that contains all the text and illustrations in PDF format. This certainly makes life easier for the reader (and reviewer!) as it is possible to take the CD and read it on a notebook computer without the need to invest in a second briefcase. It would also be possible to print out various pages (for example, those listing protocols) to take into the laboratory for reference or annotation (which one would not necessarily wish to do with an expensive book). A big advantage at first sight is that the text on the CD is searchable; however the usefulness of this is limited by the fact that it is not possible to search across the whole book, presumably because each chapter is a distinct PDF on the CD. A unified searchable index across the whole of the electronic text would have been very useful, even if this was only an electronic version of the index that is found in the hard-copy.As would be expected from a volume such as this, the scope of the book is wide, and it is commendable that both practical matters are dealt with, including detailed lab protocols in some chapters, as well as chapters concerned with theoretical matters, such as ‘Introduction to the Principles of Neuronal Modelling’ (Chapter 8). It is evident that the editors have encouraged chapter authors to write to a common format, thus most chapters contain an introduction, methods or protocols, troubleshooting, and lists of suppliers, together with references. However, the balance between these sections varies considerably: for example, chapters 2 and 3 (which deal with molecular biological approaches) have minimal introductory sections but extensive protocol listings, whereas others (for example, Chapter 34 ‘In vivo Optical Imaging of Cortical Architecture and Dynamics’) have more-extensive introductions that give a thorough background before going into experimental details.There is a significant bias in this book towards coverage of functional recording methods (various electrophysiological or optical techniques, for example) and the interpretation or analysis of data (or theoretical modelling thereof). In this area, the book does give in-depth information, and there is much here to help with setting up recordings in vivo (animals and humans) and in vitro. Unfortunately, some readers are likely to be daunted by the mathematical treatment of analysis and modelling in some chapters (for example, chapters 18–24) where the reader requires substantial mathematical knowledge.It is almost inevitable that there will be some omissions in a book such as this, especially as neuroscience is such a broad and fast-moving discipline that employs and knits together techniques from diverse backgrounds. It is nevertheless surprising that comparatively little space has been devoted to modern molecular biological techniques and their applications in functional neuroscience. Chapters 2 and 3 deal with some basic aspects, such as differential display and serial analysis of gene expression and in situ hybridisation. However, it was disappointing to find no mention of more-functional applications of molecular biological techniques. For example, it would have been valuable to have more in-depth coverage of combined patch–single-cell PCR methods in mammalian neurons, the use of antisense oligonucleotides or various types of knockout and knock-in animals in functional studies of the brain. Other omissions included the use of pharmacological agents as functional probes. For example, the consideration of competitive and non-competitive antagonists, channel blockers, enzyme inhibitors as tools in neuroscience research would have been invaluable. There is a chapter on behavioural research, which provides a good introduction to some of the basic methods and concepts. However a more-detailed treatment would have been invaluable (for example, a discussion of the use and validity of behavioural experiments as models for human diseases and clinical conditions, such as anxiety, depression, epilepsy and pain).In conclusion, this book provides useful and valuable information in certain areas of neuroscience research, especially in various electrophysiology and imaging methods. It will be useful if the reader wishes to know more about these areas of work. However, it cannot be considered to be a comprehensive review and reference of modern techniques in neuroscience.