Digital Image Processing of Autoradiographs
Anita W. Noronha · e-Publications@Marquette (Marquette University) · 1984
Metabolic alterations after experimental lumbar root stimulation and experimental spinal cord injuries were evaluated by determining quantitatively the glucose utilization in the spinal cord using autoradiographic technique. This 14 technique uses tracer quantity of C-2- deoxyglucose which after phosphorylation remains in the tissue and is a measure of metabolic activity. The optical densities of the autoradiographs were digitized. A program was developed to create grey scale images and to quantitatively determine the metabolic activity in the spinal segments. The SPSS package was used to compare the control and experimental data from the dorsal root stimulation and spinal cord injury studies. Decreases in the metabolic activity were observed in all the spinal segments after the experimental studies.