Pathophysiology of the Enteric Nervous System: A Basis for Understanding Functional Diseases

Over the last few years there have been huge advances made in our understanding of the interactions between the brain and the gut - the enteric nervous system. This book is particularly relevant in the understanding, diagnosis and management of irritable bowel syndrome - the most common functional disorder of the bowel. IBS has been diagnosed in 10-20% of adults in the US, and symptoms of IBS are responsible for more than 3 million visits to the physician in the US. This book is aimed at specialist gastroenterologists but also should be of interest for trainees and fellows in gastroenterology, as well as PCPs and GPs with an interest in this subject.

Table of Contents:
Contributors. Preface. Section A - Basic Principals. Chapter 1 Functional Neuro-anatomy. Chapter 2 Neuro-physiology. Chapter 3 Brain to Gut Signalling - Sensory mechanisms. Chapter 4 Brain to Gut Signalling - Central Processing. Section B - Mechanisms of functional GI Disorders. Chapter 5 Developmental disorders of the enteric nervous system. Chapter 6 Inflammation. . Chapter 7 Stress and the Gut - Central Influences. Chapter 8 Stress and the Gut - Peripheral Effects. Section C - Patho-physiology and Treatment of Human Diseases. Chapter 9 Oesophageal disorders. Chapter 10 Gastric disorders. Chapter 11 Small Bowel Disorders. Chapter 12 Colonic disorders. Chapter 13 Anorectal Disorders. Chapter 14 Central Nervous System Injury. Chapter 15 Diarrhoea - Predominant bowel disorders following inflammation and infection. Section D - Advances in Pharmaco Therapy. Chapter 16 Functional targets for pharmaco therapy - An overview. Chapter 17 Neuro Kininin Receptor Modulators. Chapter 18 Serotonin Receptor Modulators. Chapter 19 Emerging Transmitters. Index

About the Author :
Robin Spiller is Professor of Gastroenterology in the Wolfson Digestive Diseases Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham. He has had a long-standing interest in the pathophysiology of funtional bowel diseases particularly those arising after bouts of gastrointestinal infections. David Grundy is Professor of Biomedical Science at the Unversity of Sheffield. He has for many years pioneered the study of afferent signalling in the gut with particular interest in the mechanisms that mediate and modulate sensory signal transduction.