Gastrointestinal endoscopy for physiological assessment in functional gastrointestinal disorders: a perspective

1

Functional gastrointestinal disorders are now viewed as disorders of gut-brain interaction, requiring a shift from symptom-based to physiological assessments.
2

Gastrointestinal endoscopy has been limited to excluding organic pathology, underestimating the diagnostic value of normal findings.
3

A proposed 'functional endoscopy' framework aims to integrate real-time physiological assessments, bridging structural and functional disease diagnostics.
4

Current endoscopic practices primarily focus on macroscopic morphology, missing critical pathophysiological processes in functional gastrointestinal disorders.
5

Emerging technologies like confocal laser endomicroscopy and functional sensing are essential for advancing endoscopic diagnosis beyond traditional methods.

1