Neuron arbor geometry is sensitive to the limited-range fractal properties of their dendrites.

ABSTRACT: Fractal geometry is a well-known model for capturing the multi-scaled complexity of many natural objects. By analyzing three-dimensional images of pyramidal neurons in the rat hippocampus CA1 region, we examine how the individual dendrites within the neuron arbor relate to the fractal properties of the arbor as a whole. We find that the dendrites reveal unexpectedly mild fractal characteristics quantified by a low fractal dimension. This is confirmed by comparing two fractal methods-a traditional "coastline" method and a novel method that examines the dendrites' tortuosity across multiple scales. This comparison also allows the dendrites' fractal geometry to be related to more traditional measures of their complexity. In contrast, the arbor's fractal characteristics are quantified by a muc

SUBMITTER: Rowland C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10013056 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature