Ganser syndrome
a condition in which psychotic illness is simulated or a dissociated state occurs purportedly as a result of an unconscious effort by the individual to escape from an intolerable situation. It is typically seen in psychiatric hospitals and, historically, in prisons (it is referred to in the older literature as prison psychosis). The most prominent feature is the giving of approximate answers to simple or familiar questions (e.g., “3 + 3 = 7”; “a horse has five legs”). Other features include clouding of consciousness, inattentiveness or drowsiness, conversion symptoms (e.g., conversion paralysis), hallucinations, and, frequently, loss of memory for events subsequent to the episode. The syndrome has been variously categorized as a malingering process, a psychotic disorder, and a consequence of a head injury. Also called pseudodementia. [first described in 1898 by Sigbert Ganser
(1853–1931), German psychiatrist]