Functional Bowel Disorders

Abstract

Abstract Articles appearing in Gastroenterology have played an integral role in the evolution of our understanding of Functional Bowel Disorders (FBD), including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), beginning with the prescient contributions of Almy and Tulin in 1947 and 1949 that highlighted the role of stress to enhance perception of abdominal pain and promote colon contractions. Subsequent publications have codified diagnostic criteria and stratified subpopulations of FBD (Manning and ROME I-IV), which resulted in improved symptom-based therapeutic interventions. Advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of FBD, particularly IBS, published in Gastroenterology has led to our current appreciation that FBD represent dysfunction in the bidirectional brain-gut axis, intestinal barrier dysfunction and interactions with the microbiota and dietary factors. Team science and the application of next-generation -omics methods are leading the way to improved diagnostic criteria and targeted therapeutic interventions. As the field evolves, publications appearing in Gastroenterology will continue to be at the forefront of these advances.