Measuring the degree of spatial correlation between histological features in thin sections of brain tissue

Histological features visible in thin sections of brain tissue, such as neuronal perikarya, blood vessels, or pathological lesions may exhibit a degree of spatial association or correlation. In neurodegenerative disorders such as AD, Pick's disease, and CJD, information on whether different types of pathological lesion are spatially correlated may be useful in elucidating disease pathogenesis. In the present article the statistical methods available for studying spatial association in histological sections are reviewed. These include tests of interspecific association between two or more histological features using chi2 contingency tables, measurement of 'complete' and 'absolute' association, and more complex methods that use grids of contiguous samples. In addition, the use of correlation matrices and stepwise multiple regression methods are described. The advantages and limitations of each method are reviewed and possible future developments discussed.