Dendrite Tracing
Dendrite Tracing - Related Videos
08:41
Analyzing Dendritic Morphology in Columns and Layers
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2017
Here, we show how to analyze dendritic routing of Drosophila medulla neurons in columns and layers. The workflow includes a dual-view imaging technique to improve the image quality and computational tools for tracing, registering dendritic arbors to the reference column array and for analyzing the dendritic structures in 3D space.
12:51
Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices
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Cited by 13 •
2012
An imaging technique for monitoring of membrane potential changes with sub-micrometer spatial and sub-millisecond temporal resolution is described. The technique, based on laser excitation of voltage-sensitive dyes, allows measurements of signals in axons and axon collaterals, terminal dendritic branches, and individual dendritic spines.
05:25
Quantification of Dendritic Spines Using Confocal Microscopy Imaging
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2025
Source: Gouder, et. al. Three-dimensional Quantification of Dendritic Spines from Pyramidal Neurons Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. J. Vis. Exp. (2015).This video demonstrates the imaging and analysis of dendritic spines in transduced, immunolabeled pyramidal neurons using confocal microscopy. Background noise is reduced, and dendrites are traced by estimating their diameter and length. Automated spine segmentation involves setting parameters for dendrite and spine dimensions...
04:27
Analyzing Dendritic Morphology Across Drosophila Medulla Layers and Columns
0 Views •
2025
Source: Ting, C., et al., Analyzing Dendritic Morphology in Columns and Layers. J. Vis. Exp. (2017)This video demonstrates the procedure of preparing a Drosophila brain, capturing horizontal and frontal image stacks of GFP-labeled medulla dendrites under a confocal microscope, and creating a 3D reconstruction to analyze their morphology across layers and columns.
10:55
Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice
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Cited by 6 •
2015
We describe two methods for visualization and quantification of dendritic arborization in the hippocampus of mouse models: real-time and extended depth of field imaging. While the former method allows sophisticated topographical tracing and quantification of the extent of branching, the latter allows speedy visualization of the dendritic tree.
FAQs
Label choice determines how clearly the neuronal arbor can be followed across microscopy images. Dyes, fluorescent markers, and genetically encoded reporters provide signals that identify dendritic shafts and branches, while sequential image planes preserve their continuity through the specimen. This makes it possible to reconstruct morphology rather than relying on isolated visual fragments.
Branch length, arbor complexity, and spine distribution capture different aspects of neuronal morphology. Length describes the extent of branches, complexity reflects the organization of the branching arbor, and spine distribution adds information about dendritic structure. Examining these measures together helps distinguish which structural features change across experimental conditions.
Two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstructions represent different levels of spatial organization in the traced neuron. A two-dimensional reconstruction summarizes branching in a plane, whereas a three-dimensional reconstruction uses sequential image planes to retain the arbor's organization across depth. Choosing between them determines how the resulting morphology is represented for comparison.
The workflow begins by labeling neurons with a dye, fluorescent marker, or genetically encoded reporter. Microscopy then produces image data, and the investigator follows dendritic shafts and branches through sequential planes. Those traced paths are assembled into a two- or three-dimensional reconstruction, which can then be assessed with morphometric measurements.
Dendrite tracing is especially informative when the research question concerns structural change during development, experience, injury, or disease. Comparing traced neurons across these conditions can show whether alterations involve overall branching, branch length, or spine distribution. The method therefore supplies quantitative evidence for changes in neuronal structure rather than only descriptive observations.
In neuroscience, measurements from traced dendrites provide a bridge between cellular structure and broader organization. Comparisons of branching patterns and spine distributions can support analysis of neuronal connectivity and organization, while differences across conditions contribute evidence for structural plasticity. These results help relate morphological changes to circuit function without treating structure and function as separate phenomena.