Frontmatter -- Authors -- Contents -- Introduction -- Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome -- Psychosocial profile of patients with irritable bowel syndrome -- Awareness of IBS by patients and physicians -- Pharmacological aspects of mebeverine and antispasmodics as related to irritable bowel syndrome -- A new mebeverine formulation in clinical practice -- Risk-benefit ratio of IBS treatment: data from a high dose mebeverine study