Abstract
Twenty-six years ago, the first edition of The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates was published and readily accepted by students and neuroscientists. The target audience has not changed, but the quality of this reference book has greatly improved. Like previous editions, the sixth has been updated to add newly acquired scientific information. This edition is divided into 2 sections, the first of which is paginated (31 pages) and contains an introduction, methods section, description of the stereotaxic reference system, discussion of the nomenclature and abbreviations, presentation of the reasoning for delineation of structures, complete and up-to-date list of references, list of structures (and abbreviations), and index of abbreviations followed by the name of the structure and the number(s) of the figure(s) on which the structure appears. The paginated section is followed by 4 nonpaginated subsections containing 208 figures, with each figure containing one or more diagrams and, with brain diagrams only, a photograph of the corresponding level.
In the first 31 pages of the book, the authors describe their mechanical methods in adequate detail and must be congratulated for their discussion/reasoning for their selection of anatomic terms and abbreviations. The reader is reminded of the importance of following a standardized system for nomenclature and abbreviations. The authors are also to be congratulated for consulting with neuroanatomic experts and the neuroanatomic literature in identifying structures and selecting abbreviations. A useful discussion of the reasoning for identification (delineation) of structures is also provided.
The 4 sections of figures comprise, in order, stereotaxic diagrams of rat brain in coronal, sagittal, or horizontal planes followed by a section showing diagrams of transverse cuts of spinal cord. The 4 sections with numbered figures are not paginated, which decreases confusion when the reader is using the index. In the fifth and sixth editions, diagrams have been produced from tracing brain sections cut at 0.12-mm intervals and stained with cresyl violet, AchE, or NADPH diaphorase to more appropriately demonstrate the major neuroanatomic structures. In the sixth edition, all diagrams were updated and, for the first time, diagrams of brain were accompanied by a photograph showing a stained section at the same level from which the diagram was made. The addition of a stained section at the same level as the diagram facilitates the identification of the neuroanatomic structures in the diagrams. For brain, the sixth edition includes 161 coronal diagrams and associated photographs, 19 sagittal diagrams with associated photographs (8 more than in the previous editions), and 27 horizontal diagrams with associated photographs. One figure with 20 diagrams (less detail than for brain) shows transverse sections of spinal cord. In addition, a CD-ROM comes with the book and includes all diagrams in PDF and EPS formats and electronic files of photographs of the histologic preparations. The overall quality of the diagrams and photographs is very good. In the hardcopy of this atlas, the authors indicate that 8 of the photographs do not match the level for the diagrams, which they face. However, the photographs in the accompanying CD-ROM do match their diagrams, and the authors suggest that the reader download those photographs from the CD-ROM, print them, and insert them into the appropriate place in the atlas.
In summary, the sixth edition of this book is greatly improved and should be a required reference for neuroscientists, including veterinary pathologists, who work with rats. The book is well organized, the methods are appropriately described, and the reasoning for identification of structures is provided. The addition of the photographs with the appropriate diagrams of brain is a very useful addition to help extrapolate from tissue section to diagram or vice versa. In the book, it is unfortunate that 8 of the photographs were inappropriately matched with a diagram, although this is easily corrected with the accompanying CD-ROM.