Irritable
Bowel
Syndrome
(IBS)
is
a
common
gastroenterological
disorder
characterised
by
recurrent
abdominal
pain
and
a
change
in
bowel
habit.
Diagnosis
is
made
with
reference
to
clinical
symptomatology
and
the
exclusion
of
other
competing
disorders.
As
such
there
is
no
reliable
biomarker
in
the
clinical
field
to
prove
or
disprove
the
diagnosis.
This
has
obvious
implications
for
the
treatment
of
the
syndrome.
Recent
research
has
targeted
the
immunology
of
IBS
to
see
if
changes
in
cytokine
expression
support
the
concept
of
a
chronic
low-level
inflammatory
state.
IBS
has
a
strong
association
with
psychological
comorbidity.
Visceral
hypersensitivity
is
also
a
hallmark
of
the
disease.
This
study
was
constructed
to
compare
the
psychological
profiles
of
patients
with
IBS
against
a
control
group;
to
use
cortical
evoked
potentials
to
observe
the
cortical
representation
of
an
electrical
rectal
stimulus
to
see
if
changes
in
amplitude
or
latency
might
be
suggestive
of
enhanced
afferent
nerve
transmission;
and
to
use
cytokine
analysis
of
stimulated
and
un-stimulated
peripheral
blood
mononuclear
cells
to
study
the
inflammatory
response.