Ganser Syndrome, Organic Dementia and Hypnosis–A Case Study

ABSTRACT

Ganser Syndrome is a rare and controversial disorder, a form of pseudodementia, which has often been associated with prison environments. It is classified under dissociative disorder, not otherwise specified in the DSM-IV, and as a dissociative disorder with its own code in the ICD-10. In the literature, it has also been described as a psychotic illness, a factitious disorder, a histrionic disorder, and an organic illness. Despite special interest in dissociative disorders, we have diagnosed only one case of Ganser Syndrome during six years in Mental Hospital for Prisoners (that houses) with about 300 treatment periods per year of 3,000 male prisoners from a base population of five million people. While dissociative symptoms were clear, the patient also suffered from progressing organic dementia. Antipsychotic medication had no beneficial effect, but hypnosis clearly ameliorated the patient's symptoms. We conclude that Ganser Syndrome is rare, and may co-occur with organic dementia. The positive effect of hypnosis, apparently here described for the first time, may confirm the dissociative nature of the syndrome.

KEYWORDS:

• Dissociative disorders
• vascular dementia
• pseudo-dementia
• hypnosis
• Ganser Syndrome