The cutting-edge techniques detailed here include those that are particularly popular in multidisciplinary neuroscience research. There are readily reproducible methods for establishing neural cell cultures, measuring enzymes and their inhibitors, and using quantitative autoradiography to study monoamine uptake sites and receptors in the brain. Additional methods cover the use of flow cytometry to study developmental neurobiology, applications of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to human brain metabolism, and the study of drug metabolism. Together with its companion volumes, In Vivo Neuromethods and In Vitro Neurochemical Techniques, all three cutting-edge works will prove exceptionally useful to those basic and clinical neuroscientists who want to expand the range of their current research or develop competence in complementary methods.

Modern neuroscience research is inherently multidisciplinary, with a wide variety of cutting edge new techniques to explore multiple levels of investigation. This Third Edition of Guide to Research Techniques in Neuroscience provides a comprehensive overview of classical and cutting edge methods including their utility, limitations, and how data are presented in the literature. This book can be used as an introduction to neuroscience techniques for anyone new to the field or as a reference for any neuroscientist while reading papers or attending talks. - Nearly 200 updated full-color illustrations to clearly convey the theory and practice of neuroscience methods - Expands on techniques from previous editions and covers many new techniques including in vivo calcium imaging, fiber photometry, RNA-Seq, brain spheroids, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, and more - Clear, straightforward explanations of each technique for anyone new to the field - A broad scope of methods, from noninvasive brain imaging in human subjects, to electrophysiology in animal models, to recombinant DNA technology in test tubes, to transfection of neurons in cell culture - Detailed recommendations on where to find protocols and other resources for specific techniques - "Walk-through" boxes that guide readers through experiments step-by-step

The cutting-edge techniques detailed here include those that are particularly popular in multidisciplinary neuroscience research. There are readily reproducible methods for establishing neural cell cultures, measuring enzymes and their inhibitors, and using quantitative autoradiography to study monoamine uptake sites and receptors in the brain. Additional methods cover the use of flow cytometry to study developmental neurobiology, applications of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to human brain metabolism, and the study of drug metabolism. Together with its companion volumes, In Vivo Neuromethods and In Vitro Neurochemical Techniques, all three cutting-edge works will prove exceptionally useful to those basic and clinical neuroscientists who want to expand the range of their current research or develop competence in complementary methods.

A fundamental problem in neuroscience is the elucidation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the development and function of the nervous system. The complexity of organization, the heteroge neity of cell types and their interactions, and the difficulty of controlling experimental variables in intact organisms make this a formidable task. Because of the ability that it affords to analyze smaller components of the nervous system (even single cells in some cases) and to better control experimental variables, cell culture has become an increasingly valuable tool for neuroscientists. Many aspects of neural development, such as proliferation, differentiation, synaptogenesis, and myelination, occur in culture with time courses remarkably similar to those in vivo. Thus, in vitro methods often provide excellent model systems for investigating neurobiological questions. Ross Harrison described the first culture of neural tissue in 1907 and used morphological methods to analyze the cultures. Since that time the technique has been progressively modified and used to address an ever widening range of developmental questions. In recent years a con vergence of new or improved cell culture, biochemical, electrophysiol ogical, and immunological methods has occurred and been brought to bear on neurobiological questions. This volume is intended not to be comprehensive but rather to highlight some of the latest findings, with a review of previous important work as well, in which combinations of these methods are used.

There are numerous books on cellular and molecular protocols for general use in cell biology but very few are exclusively devoted to neurobiology. This book fills this gap and explains in a clear and consistent manner, some of the more commonly used protocols in neuroscience research. Each chapter is written by either the person who invented the procedure or an expert in the field. The format is uniform: "Overview," "Background," "Protocols," and "results and discussion." Each protocol begins with the principle of the technique, studies in cell culture, materials and reagents, and, lastly, step-by-step outline of the procedure itself. This highly practical book is also well illustrated (with 17 four color plates) to make the concepts and procedures easy to understand and perform.

In Vitro Neurochemical Techniques is the third work updating and expanding the best-selling inaugural volume of Humana Press's warmly received Neuromethods series, General Neurochemical Techniques (vol. 1). The key techniques detailed in this new edition encompass the breadth of neurochemical and molecular neurobiology research, ranging from the isolation of neuronal genes and the study of their expression to the analysis of receptor-ligand interactions, to the characterization of the consequences of receptor activation. The methods include electrophysiological techniques to explore the functional properties of receptors present in the membranes of excitable cells, methods to isolate novel genes central to neurobiological processes, and protocols to perform in situ hybridization histochemistry. Other methods cover the measurement of changes in gene expression, the rapid identification of gene polymorphisms, and the identification and characterization of second messenger pathways. The companion volumes, In Vivo Neuromethods and Cell Neurobiology Techniques, cover both in vivo methods and in vitro cell neurobiology approaches. Like the original, all three cutting-edge works will prove exceptionally useful to those basic and clinical neuroscientists who want to expand the range of their current research or develop competence in complementary methods.