Report on the 4th International Symposium on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

There is a growing understanding of the multi-faceted nature of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Symptoms, behaviors, and treatment outcomes for individuals with these disorders relate to disturbances in gastrointestinal motility and sensation that is effected by interactions that take place via the brain-gut axis. To understand and study these conditions, physicians and researchers must become familiar with evolving knowledge that integrates basic science, physiology, clinical medicine, psychology, and psychiatry. Indicated below are some of the highlights of the presentations at the 4th International Symposium for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, which we believe truly reflect the developing areas of research in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.