guillain–barré syndrome (gbs), sometimes landry's paralysis or guillain–barré–strohl syndrome is a syndrome that causes weakness of the feet and hands. guillain–barré syndrome is rare, at 1–2 cases per 100,000 people annually, but is the most common cause of acute non-trauma-related paralysis. the syndrome is named after the french physicians georges guillain and jean alexandre barré, who described it in 1916.