THE STUDY SUBJECTS INCLUDED 2 GROUPS: 50 SUBJECTS WHO HAD BEEN REFERRED FOR EEG TESTING BY PHYSICIANS, SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, OR COUNSELORS WHO SUSPECTED ABNORMALITIES AND 100 SUBJECTS SELECTED AT RANDOM FROM THE SCHOOL'S POPULATION OF 750. INCLUDED IN THE STUDY GROUP WERE 45 YOUTHS WHO HAD RECEIVED PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION AND TESTING (INCLUDING 26 FROM THE REFERRAL GROUP AND 19 FROM THE RANDOM GROUP). EEG ABNORMALITIES WERE FOUND IN 30 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECTS (44 PERCENT OF THE REFERRALS AND 23 PERCENT OF THE RANDOM SUBJECTS). THE MOST COMMON ABNORMALITY WAS 14 AND 6/SECOND POSITIVE SPIKING, WHICH OCCURRED IN 30 PERCENT OF THE REFERRAL GROUP AND 20 PERCENT OF THE RANDOM GROUP, EITHER ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER ABNORMALITIES. NO CLEAR-CUT GRAND MAL OR PETIT MAL EPILEPTIC PATTERNS WERE SEEN, AND ONLY ONE PSYCHOMOTOR TRACING WAS OBTAINED. OF THE 45 YOUTHS SEEN IN PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION, 22 (59 PERCENT) DEMONSTRATED EEG ABNORMALITIES, INCLUDING 18 FROM THE REFERRAL GROUP AND 4 FROM THE RANDOM GROUP. ABNORMAL EEG'S WERE ESPECIALLY PREVALENT AMONG THE PSYCHIATRICALLY TESTED SUBJECTS WHO HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED AS MANIFESTING A CHRONIC BRAIN SYNDROME, AS WELL AS IN THE MENTAL DEFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT REACTION DIAGNOSTIC CATEGORIES. THE OVERALL INCIDENCE OF EEG ABNORMALITY IN THE STUDY GROUP IS NOT UNUSUALLY HIGH. THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF A CORRELATION BETWEEN EEG ABNORMALITY AND DEVIANT BEHAVIOR. IT WOULD SEEM THAT AN UNDUE EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE ROLE OF EEG-DETECTABLE PATHOLOGY IN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. THE INCREASED EVIDENCE OF EEG ABNORMALITY AMONG YOUTHS SPECIFICALLY REFERRED FOR EEG TESTING INDICATES THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO SELECT SUBJECTS WITH EEG ABNORMALITIES ON THE BASIS OF ABERRANT CLINICAL BEHAVIOR OR UNUSUAL HISTORY, ALTHOUGH THE MECHANISM OF SELECTION REMAINS VAGUE. SUPPORTING DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)