Neurobiology of urological diseases

Knowledge obtained mainly in the last 2 decades has provided a better understanding of the mechanisms and pathways through which the nervous system regulates the function of tissues and organs whose diseases fall under the care of urologists. It has been demonstrated that the nervous system is involved not only in the maintenance of homeostasis in urological organs but also in the reparative and regenerative processes that take place in them. In addition, the nervous system is involved in the activation of compensatory and adaptive mechanisms in response to pathological processes occurring in these organs, but it may also potentiate the progression of urological diseases. Investigation of the mechanisms and pathways through which the nervous system exerts these influences was historically the domain of neuro-urology. Since it is now clear that the nervous system exerts more complex influences on urological organs, and that these organs in turn influence the functions of the nervous system, the term neurobiology of urological diseases is more appropriate for this area of research, which lies at the intersection of urology and neuroscience. The aim of this review is to introduce the concept of the neurobiology of urological diseases and to describe its implications in urology.