The complex‐shaped ‘perforated’ synapse, a problem in quantitative stereology of the brain

Abstract
SUMMARY: Failure to appreciate the consequences for stereological work of the simultaneous presence of complex‐shaped perforated and disc‐like non‐perforated synapses in brain tissue results in underestimation of synaptic profile length and overestimation of synaptic density when measured in randomly selected ultrathin E‐PTA slices. This problem can be solved by using serial slices and a calculation method which makes no assumptions about synaptic size and shape. A three‐dimensional reconstruction is unnecessary.