Determining the neuronal connectivity of Golgi-impregnated neurons: ultrastructural assessment of functional aspects

The combined light and electron microscopic analysis of Golgi-impregnated neural tissue is a potent tool for determining the connectivity of neural networks within the brain. In the experimental paradigms commonly applied in these studies, the Golgi-impregnated neurons are typically examined as the postsynaptic neuronal components. The structural characteristics and the pattern of distribution of their synaptic connections with other groups of identified neurons are analyzed. Due to the high power of resolution of the Golgi-electron microscopic technique, the ultrastructural analysis of Golgi-impregnated neurons can be expanded to elucidate activity-dependent structural alterations in their cytoarchitecture. These structural alterations can then be correlated under different physiological conditions with changes in the functional efficacy of the subcellular neuronal components.