Types of neurons and some dendritic patterns of basolateral amygdala in humans--a golgi study

Classification of the neurons in the human basolateral amygdala is performed on preparations impregnated by the Golgi technique. Three different neuronal types are found in the nuclei of the basolateral amygdala: Type I--Pyramidal cells, with numerous dendritic spines and two subtypes (slender and squat); Type II--Modified pyramidal cells, sparsely spinous with rare dendritic spines and two subtypes (single apical and double apical) and; Type III--Non-pyramidal cells, with few dendritic spines and three subtypes (bipolar, multipolar and gliaform). The analysis of the primary dendritic branches pointed out the occasional presence of dendritic bundles (fascicular dendritic arrangement) with their predomination in the parvicellular division of the basal nucleus and paralaminar nucleus. Additionally, the presence of dendrodendritic contacts, indicated by light microscopy, was also found in the parvicellular division of the basal nucleus and especially in the paralaminar nucleus.