ABSTRACT
The basal ganglia in the brain are a group of anatomically closely related subcortical nuclei. Damage to these nuclei such as in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD) causes dramatic motor abnormalities without weakness, as well as lower urinary tract dysfunction. This chapter overviews the present concept of the contribution of the basal ganglia to lower urinary tract function and reviews the lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with disorders of the basal ganglia, such as PD and HD. The basal ganglia consist of several subcortical nuclei including the striatum, the globus pallidus, the subthalamic nucleus, and the substantia nigra (SN). The SN is a dopaminergic nucleus, which is divided into two parts: the substantia nigra pars compacta and the substantia nigra pars reticulata. Dopamine is important for the micturition reflex as well as normal movement.
