can be a risk factor for IBS in adulthood. Psychosocial factors Psychosocial factors influence the functioning of the GI tract through the brain-gut axis (motility, sensitivity, barrier function). They also affect experience and behavior, treatment selection and the clinical outcome. Psychological stress or one's emotional response to stress exacerbates gastrointestinal symptoms and may contribute to FGID development. Physiology The physiology of FGID is characterized by abnormal motility, visceral hypersensitivity as well as dysregulation of the immune system and barrier function of the GI tract as well as inflammatory changes. Abnormal motility Studies have shown altered muscle contractility and tone, bowel compliance, and transit may contribute to many of the gastrointestinal symptoms of FGID which may include diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting. Visceral hypersensitivity In FGID there is poor association of pain with GI motility in many functional GI disorders. These patient often have a lower pain threshold with balloon distension of the bowel (visceral hyperalgesia), or they have increased sensitivity even to normal intestinal function; Visceral hypersensitivity may be amplified in patients with FGIDs. Immune dysregulation, inflammation, and barrier dysfunction Studies on postinfectious IBS have shown that factors such as mucosal membrane permeability, the intestinal flora, and altered mucosal immune function. Ultimately leading to visceral hypersensitivity. Factors contributing to this occurrence include genetics, psychological stress, and altered receptor sensitivity at the gut mucosa and myenteric plexus, which are enabled by mucosal immune dysfunction. Microbiome There has been increased attention to the role of bacteria and the microbiome in overall health and disease. There is evidence for a group of microorganisms which play a role in the brain-gut axis. Studies have revealed that the bacterial composition of the gastrointestinal tract in IBS patient differs from healthy individuals (e.g., increased Firmicutes and reduced Bacteroidetes and Bifidobacteria) However, further research is needed to determine the role of the microbiome in FGIDs. Food and diet The types of food consumed and diet consumed plays a role in the manifestation of FGID and also their relationship to intestinal microbiota. Studies have shown that specific changes in diet (e.g., low FODMAP—fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols, or gluten restriction in some patients) may help and reduce the symptom burden in FGID. However, no one diet has been shown to be recommended for all people. Brain-gut axis The brain-gut axis is the mechanism in which the psychosocial factors influence the GI tract and vice versa. There is