Randomly assigned 20 patients with irritable bowel syndrome to intensive, individualized cognitive therapy or to daily gastrointestinal symptom monitoring. Pre- to posttreatment evaluations showed significantly greater gastrointestinal symptom reduction for those receiving cognitive therapy than for those in symptom monitoring. At posttreatment, 80% of cognitive therapy group and 10% of symptom monitoring group showed clinically significant improvement. (Author/NB)