Pathophysiology of the Enteric Nervous System

Blackwell Publishing is delighted to announce that this book has been Highly Commended in the 2005 BMA Medical Book Competition. Here is the judges' summary of this book:

"As a general gastroenterologists up to half the outpatients I see have functional disease yet I have had no training in the function of the enteric nervous system, and the subject is relatively ignored in gastroenterology meetings. Neurogastroenterology is a difficult subject: it's poorly presented in textbooks, and the medical journals give a very disjointed view. This is the only book that I have read that successfully brings together neurogastroenterology and functional gastroenterological disease in a readable clinically relevant form. It's all the more important because new drugs based on our understanding of neurogastroenterology are becoming available."

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

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 Neuroplasticity

Chapter 8 Stress and the Gut - Central Influences

Chapter 9 Stress and the Gut - Peripheral Effects

Section C - Patho-physiology and Treatment of Human Diseases

Chapter 10 Oesophageal disorders

Chapter 11 Gastric disorders

Chapter 12 Small Bowel Disorders

Chapter 13 Colonic disorders

Chapter 14 Anorectal Disorders

Chapter 15 Central Nervous System Injury

Chapter 16 Diarrhoea - Predominant bowel disorders following inflammation and infection

Section D - Advances in Pharmaco Therapy

Chapter 17 Functional targets for pharmaco therapy - An overview

Chapter 18 Neuro Kininin Receptor Modulators

Chapter 19 Serotonin Receptor Modulators

Chapter 20 Emerging Transmitters