Visual Versus Cinemicrographic Evaluation of Human Sperm Motility and Morphology

Abstract

Ratings of human sperm motility by visual estimation through the microscope remain important measures of semen quality and of male fertility. More objective methods, including cinemicrography, time lapse photography, and videomicrography, are advocated. Subjective (visual) and objective (cinemicrographic) ratings of motility were compared. Sixty workers in 30 laboratories rated motilities of 40 specimens on motion picture film, and motilities were also measured by cinephotomicrographic methods. The morphology of each of the motile and immotile sperm was rated. In 34 of 40 specimens visual ratings were higher (range = +2 to +31%) than actual percentage motility. Specimens with both high sperm concentration and forward progression received the highest overestimations by visual rating. This was especially apparent in specimens with the highest motility. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between sperm motility and morphology rated on a one-by-one basis, but the relationship was too small to influence the visual rating of human sperm motility.

Dynamic balance between activation and repression regulates pre‐mRNA alternative splicing during heart development

“…The age‐old method of sperm motility measurement is the microscopic method that essentially measures horizontal motion of the cells and this method gives only a subjective assessment of sperm motility. Subsequently several objective methods have been developed to measure sperm horizontal movement, the CASA being the most widely used one (14–27). Although CASA gives multiple sperm motility parameters, their correlation with fertility potential of spermatozoa is not well defined (23–27).…”

“…In the present international scenario, microscopic method is the most widely used subjective method for sperm motility analysis. Subsequently, more objective methods were developed, such as light scattering method, laser beam method, multiple exposure photographic method, etc (14–22). But, all the available techniques consider only the “horizontal” velocity and there is not a single instrument available for measuring the “vertical” velocity of spermatozoa.…”

A computerized spectrophotometric instrumental system to determine the “vertical velocity” of sperm cells: A novel concept

“…The age-old method of sperm motility measurement is the microscopic method that essentially measures horizontal motion of the cells and this method gives only a subjective assessment of sperm motility. Subsequently several objective methods have been developed to measure sperm horizontal movement, the CASA being the most widely used one (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27). Although CASA gives multiple sperm motility parameters, their correlation with fertility potential of spermatozoa is not well defined (23)(24)(25)(26)(27).…”

“…In the present international scenario, microscopic method is the most widely used subjective method for sperm motility analysis. Subsequently, more objective methods were developed, such as light scattering method, laser beam method, multiple exposure photographic method, etc (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22). But, all the available techniques consider only the ''horizontal'' velocity and there is not a single instrument available for measuring the ''vertical'' velocity of spermatozoa.…”

Sperm Morphology: Does It Have Predictive Value for In Vitro Fertilization?

“…Several groups have investigated the possibility of using automated image analysis to evaluate morphology objectively. [39][40][41][42] At present, this would not appear to be widely applicable: the equipment is expensive and the analyses are rather time consuming. They are also less informative than conventional microscopic analyses which use various staining methods capable of revealing information about acrosomal structure and position, in addition to size of different cell regions.…”