For the past 30 years, gastrointestinal disorders have been recognized as common and disruptive – causing pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. When these symptoms begin to interfere with daily life, patients seek medical care. However, when testing yields no organic causes for their persistent symptoms, patients are frequently told that “nothing is wrong.

The Rome Foundation has worked to change this narrative. By bringing together leading researchers and clinicians from around the world, the Foundation has advanced the understanding of these conditions and advanced the understanding of the complex pathophysiology of these conditions and an improved understanding of the complex interactions between the gut and brain. The Foundation created diagnostic symptom based criteria, which has recently transformed the concept of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) into Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI), a more accurate framework that is increasingly accepted and utilized globally. This effort legitimized these prevalent conditions, promoted the development of novel therapeutics, and improved outcomes and quality of life for patients.

Rome V marks a new era in the classification and care of DGBI. This updated framework reflects the latest science and emphasizes a more compassionate, patient-centered, and biologically grounded approach to diagnosis and treatment. Rome V empowers clinicians to make positive, evidence-based diagnoses, moving beyond exclusion and toward personalized, compassionate care. Building on validated instruments and new translational data, Rome V integrates more rigorous scientific methods to define disease mechanisms and identify clinically relevant subgroups. It broadens the evidence base by incorporating studies in previously under-represented populations and by refining pediatric DGBI categories to align with emerging neurodevelopmental and mechanistic insights.