The cerebellum is involved in motor learning and cognitive function in human. Many studies have been conducted to assess the cerebellar volume. To the best of our knowledge, there is no cerebellar volume study evaluating the efficiency and the accuracy of point-counting and planimetry methods of the Cavalieri principle in the literature. In this study, the volume of cerebellum was estimated in 53 Turkish young volunteers (26 males and 27 females), aged between 20 and 25 who are free of any neurological symptoms and signs, using serial magnetic resonance (MR) images. The cerebellar volumes of subjects were determined on MR images using the point-counting and planimetry methods. The mean results of planimetry method were 116.69 +/- 10.1 and 114.41 +/- 9.3 cm(3 )in males and females, respectively. The mean results of point-counting method were 116.34 +/- 10.6 and 113.48 +/- 8.8 cm(3 )in males and females, respectively. Our results revealed that female subjects had less cerebellar volumes compared with males, although there was no statistical significant difference between genders (P > 0.05). Total cerebellar volumes obtained by two different methods were not statistically different (P = 0.189) and they were correlated well to each other (r = 0.935). We found that the point-counting method takes less time than the planimetric method (mean 8 +/- 3.6 vs. 15 +/- 5.5 min). Thus, while planimetric and stereological approaches yield very similar results, the stereological method has the advantage of greater speed and, therefore, efficiency.

There is a well-known close relationship between the total intracranial volume (TIV) and the brain size. Several studies in different countries have estimated the cranial capacity, which indirectly reflects the brain volume. However, we have not seen a study evaluating the results of the methodologies for the assessment of TIV. This study was carried out on 30 normal subjects whose ages ranged between 19 and 77 years old (males, 18; females, 12). Three different methods were used to assess the TIV. The mean (+/-SD) estimated TIV using linear dimensions method in males and females were 1416.8 +/- 64 cm and 1291.9 +/- 152 cm, respectively. The mean estimated TIV using point counting method in males and females was 1474 +/- 93 cm and 1252 +/- 72 cm, respectively. By using the planimetric method of the mean and SD of TIV, male and females were 1492.1 +/- 74 cm and 1319.6 +/- 100 cm, respectively. There were no statistical difference between TIV measurements obtained using the optimized stereologic technique and planimetry (P > 0.05). TIV between males and females was statistically significant (P < 0.001). This study showed that there are minor differences among the given 3 distinct methods. With the disadvantage of requiring more time to apply, the planimetry and point counting methods provide more assumption-free results than the anthropometric approach. However, the anthropometric method can be applied to assess TIV without needing sophisticated tools.

SUMMARY:It is natural that there is close relationship between cranial capacity, and the size of brain. Several studies have estimated the cranial capacity which indirectly reflects the brain volume. This study was carried out on 366 (226 male and 140 female) healthy university students aged between 17-26 years old at Mugla University, Mugla, Turkey. By using linear dimensions of the head the mean cranial capacity and SD in males and females were 1411.64±118.9 cm 3 and 1306.95±162.9 cm 3 , respectively. There was a significant difference between genders (p<0.05). This investigation was showed the cranial capacity is larger in males than females. We also proposed a regression formula that could be used to predict the cranial capacity.

The size of the eyeball has been the subject of a few studies. None of them used stereological methods to estimate the volume. In the current study, we estimated the volume of eyeball in normal men and women using the stereological methods. Eyeball volume (EV) was estimated using the Cavalieri principle as a combination of point-counting and planimetry techniques. We used computed tomography scans taken from 36 participants (15 men and 21 women) to estimate the EV. The mean (SD) EV values obtained by planimetry method were 7.49 (0.79) and 7.06 (0.85) cm in men and women, respectively. By using point-counting method, the mean (SD) values were 7.48 (0.85) and 7.21 (0.84) cm in men and women, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the findings from the 2 methods (P > 0.05). A weak correlation was found between the axial length of eyeball and the EV estimated by point counting and planimetry (P < 0.05, r = 0.494 and r = 0.523, respectively). The findings of the current study using the stereological methods could provide data for the evaluation of normal and pathologic volumes of the eyeball.