Overview
Quantifying neuronal morphology — dendritic length, branching, spine density and soma size — provides a direct readout of structural plasticity and pathology. Reliable measurements begin with sections that faithfully preserve structure.
Preserve the Full Arbor
To measure complete dendritic trees, cut thick sections (80–200 µm) without freezing. Vibratome sectioning of Golgi-stained or fluorescently labelled tissue retains the full extent of the arbor for accurate tracing.
Imaging and Tracing
Capture z-stacks through the section and reconstruct neurons with tracing software. Trace consistently, following the same rules across animals to avoid bias.
Metrics and Analysis
Common metrics include total dendritic length, branch points, Sholl intersections and spine density. Normalise by region and compare across groups with appropriate statistics.
Avoiding Bias
Blind the analyst to experimental group, sample neurons systematically, and exclude partially cut cells unless the analysis explicitly accounts for truncation.
Quality of Source Sections
Clean, undamaged, uniformly stained sections make tracing faster and more accurate — a strong argument for careful sectioning and consistent staining.