title: [Psychopathology of Ganser's syndrome. Literature review and case report].
abstract: The key feature of Ganser's syndrome includes approximate answers to simple questions. The cause of this rare syndrome remains uncertain. Current classification systems categorise it as a dissociative disorder, the symptoms of which are judged as psychogenic in origin. Our review of the literature (n=151) demonstrates however that Ganser's syndrome is frequently associated with brain injury, although detailed imaging, neuropsychological, and neurological data of this for the most part do not exist. We describe a right-handed patient with Ganser's syndrome after a large left-hemispheric middle cerebral artery infarction. Detailed neuropsychological examination showed atypical lateralisation of cognitive functions with so-called crossed nonaphasia and pronounced frontal-executive dysfunctions. Regarding both psychiatric and neuropsychological aspects, we discuss how the key feature of approximate answers may be associated with frontal-executive cerebral dysfunctions.
authors.affiliation: Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern, Universitätsklinik für Klinische Psychiatrie, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Baas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nyffeler
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seifritz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Müri
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gutbrod
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011599:Psychopathology