Volumetric modeling of neuronal populations

The authors describe a method for the automatic identification of labeled neuronal cell populations, coupled with the subsequent three-dimensional reconstruction and volumetric rendering of a set of serial thin sections. This was achieved by applying morphological image-processing operations to each of the serial sections. Surface fitting techniques were then developed for the neuronal cell population delineation. The coupling of volumetric rendering and interior surface fitting adds to the ease of visual interpretation of this complicated three-dimensional structure