Laboratory Diagnosis in Ophthalmology

493 instances of real data being used to describe and expand on discussion of the techniques. Many of the chapters deal with the philosophy of the technique, the advantages and disadvantages associated with it, and the type of empirical questions that can be addressed by the method. Chapters are also adequately referenced to allow further study, if desired, at a greater level of expertise on any one method. The organization of the book flows from an analysis of unit activity in awake animals to recording from central nervous system transplants, explants, and cultured tissue. The first chapter presents a good overview of issues related to recording from behaving animals and identifies some sources of problems that may be encountered when attempting to conduct this type of research. The next two chapters describe, in fairly minute detail, methods for recording in awake, freely moving animals, using electrodes made from fine wires (chapter 2) or glass micropipettes (chapter 3). An important aspect of the third chapter is the description of a novel technique to apply agents microiontophoretically in freely moving rats. The fourth chapter describes a unique in vivo recording preparation involving neural tissue transplants in oculo and discusses the advantages of recording from this preparation relative to in vitro tissue culture and brain slice preparations. Succeeding chapters discuss the relevant characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of recording from in vitro brain slices (chapter 5) and cells cultured from the hypothalamus (chapter 7), cortex (chapter 8), and pituitary (chapter 9) tissue. Finally, there are two very useful technical chapters which give good overviews of the voltage clamp (chapter 6) and micro pressure-ejection (chapter 10) techniques. Overall, this book provides a very useful collection of papers for students of electrophysiology as well as for the most experienced electrophysiologist. In today's age of high technology medicine, the clinician needs to be familiar with laboratory procedures that may aid in diagnosis. Many clinicians are unaware of proper technique. Incorrectly collecting a laboratory specimen can compound the uncertainty in diagnosis. Laboratory Diagnosis in Ophthalmology was written to aid clinicians in the selection of appropriate laboratory tests and in correct collection of specimens. Certain chapters are also directed to the pathologist. The book is organized into chapters on laboratory tests, with sections on tissue diagnosis and cytology, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, microbiology, and biochemical, hematologic, and endocrinologic tests. The chapters give an historical overview and description of the techniques …