Simple PC-based system for morphometric analysis of synapses.

ABSTRACT

The computer system designed for synaptic morphometry of aksosomatic and aksospine synapses of brain is described in the present paper. It is based on an AT-comparable personal computer equipped with low-cost frame grabber. This hardware configuration allows to input images from any TV source such as TV camera, videorecorder for further processing. The appropriate software was written in Microsoft Quick Basic to measure the main morphometric parameters of axon ending, dendritic spines, total contact, active zone and mitochondria. Number of synaptic vesicles (total and active) were also counted using a mouse as a pointing device. The derivative parameters (vesicle density, mitochondrial density) are then calculated. All measured data are stored in ASCII format, allowing ease in editing and export into other application programs. Statistical evaluation and calculation of histograms is performed by associated program also written in Quick Basic. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are discussed.