This book introduce neurourology as an emerging interdisciplinary area that covers the basic and clinical studies of the neural control on the normal lower urinary tract and the lower/upper urinary tract dysfunction due to neuropathy disorders. It systematically describes all aspects of neurourology from the epidemiology of the neurogenic bladder; to the pathology and pathophysiology of the lower urinary tract; to the diagnosis and treatment of the neurogenic bladder by conservative therapies or surgeries. This book provides a useful resource for medical doctors, nurses and students in the field of neurourological conditions. All the topics are written by internationally recognized specialists in their field.

In this book we attempt a synthesis of knowledge from two investigative extremes. On the one hand, neurophysiology and neuropharmacology are progressing via the single neuron to a subcellular level; on the other, clinicians are studying the function ofthe human urinary system in vivo as a whole. A special effort must be made over the next decade to bridge this gap. We hope that the information summarized here will catalyse the process. In 1968, de Groat and Ryall published a group of papers in the Journal of Physiology in which modern quantitative electrophysiological techniques were applied to the study ofthe reflexes that regulate bladder Junction. These papers represent alandmark in the history of bladder neurophysiology, forming a dividing li ne between old and new. The earlier techniques of lesioning and stimulation of nervous structures yielded mainly qualitative information which was open to criticism because of lack of precise control over what was actually being destroyed or stimulated. Much of this earlier work was reviewed in an authoritative volume by Bors and Comarr in 1971, entitled Neurolqgical Urology. The 16 years have seen great advances in our understanding ofthe control oflower subsequent urinary tract function.

In this book we attempt a synthesis of knowledge from two investigative extremes. On the one hand, neurophysiology and neuropharmacology are progressing via the single neuron to a subcellular level; on the other, clinicians are studying the function ofthe human urinary system in vivo as a whole. A special effort must be made over the next decade to bridge this gap. We hope that the information summarized here will catalyse the process. In 1968, de Groat and Ryall published a group of papers in the Journal of Physiology in which modern quantitative electrophysiological techniques were applied to the study ofthe reflexes that regulate bladder Junction. These papers represent alandmark in the history of bladder neurophysiology, forming a dividing li ne between old and new. The earlier techniques of lesioning and stimulation of nervous structures yielded mainly qualitative information which was open to criticism because of lack of precise control over what was actually being destroyed or stimulated. Much of this earlier work was reviewed in an authoritative volume by Bors and Comarr in 1971, entitled Neurolqgical Urology. The 16 years have seen great advances in our understanding ofthe control oflower subsequent urinary tract function.

Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) is an umbrella diagnosis that covers the abnormalities of anatomy and function in the bladder, urethra, and, in men, the prostate. People with LUTD face a number of social, mental, and physical health effects due to the symptoms. Despite the increasing evidence in the assessment and management of lower urinary tract symptoms, it remains a challenge to bridge the gap between research evidence and clinical practice. In this book, each and every one of the authors presents a remarkable work for how to apply the evidence to clinical practice from different aspects. I hope this book is a key for every reader to open the door to LUTD.