Golgi technique and electron microscopy in the study of dendritic pathology in Alzheimer’s disease

What is it about?

The silver impregnation technique is a very efficient method for visualizing whole neurons and neuronal circuits in a pictorial appearance. The technique, which is more than 100 years old, was introduced by Golgi as ‘reazione nera’ (black reaction) and was applied extensively by Ramon y Cajal in describing many types of neurons in the brain; he documented the fascinating appearance of the neuronal circuits in the histological organization of the nervous system in his ‘neuronal doctrine. ’For many years, the Golgi method has been considered to be the classical technique for the precise description of neurons, since it delineates the profile of neurons and dendritic ramifications with unique clarity, which displays the dendritic arborization completely. Gradually, the term ‘Golgi technique’ has started to refer to a group of heavy metal impregnation methods that rely on preparation of neural tissue with potassium dichromate .

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Why is it important?

Golgi techniques have traditionally been applied in order to visualize dendritic spines, which represent the smallest, most sensitive and vulnerable structural unit of the neuron, which are involved in many diseases of the brain Golgi study also provides an insight into the pathogenesis of neurological disorders and the mechanisms involved in the remodeling of neuronal networks in the recovering brain. In Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most frequent age-dependent dementia, dendritic and spinal pathology play very important roles in the decline of mental faculties, since spines and synapses are very dynamic structures, expressing plasticity, which is indispensable in learning and memory.

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