Direct visualization of particle velocity distribution by pseudostereoscopic viewing of time-lapsed sequential images: application to fast axonal transport.

Abstract

We describe a simple method for direct visualization of the velocity distribution of particles moving against an immobile background. The technique involves pseudostereoscopic viewing of image pairs separated by an appropriate time interval in a sequential recording of the subject. Under these conditions, the positive or negative parallax arising from particle motion results in the binocular image of a particle being perceived as raised or lowered relative to an immobile background plane depending on its direction of movement, and with the degree of perceived elevation being proportional to its speed. In effect, the binocular optic axis becomes a velocity (speed) axis under these conditions. The technique is illustrated with examples of image pair sequences showing fast axonal transport in lobster and squid axons using video-enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy. However, the pseudostereoscopic method is quite generally applicable to both microscopic and macroscopic time-dependent phenomena. Particle speeds can be quantitated using standard procedures for measuring frame-to-frame particle displacements, or alternatively, by determination of parallax using stereogrammatic methods. It should be also readily adaptable for on-line monitoring of particle velocity distribution, particularly in video systems where frame buffers can be utilized to extract and present serial image pairs having any desired time separation from video-taped sequences.