OF 285 CHILDREN REFERRED TO THE CLINIC DURING THE STUDY PERIOD, 18 (6 PERCENT) EITHER DESCRIBED OR DEMONSTRATED SYMPTOMS OF PSYCHOMOTOR EPILEPSY--A FORM OF EPILEPSY LESS COMMON THAN GRAND MAL (CONVULSIVE) EPILEPSY AND CHARACTERIZED BY ATTACKS IN WHICH THERE IS AN AURA OF ANXIETY OR FEAR, A VARIETY OF VISCERAL SYMPTOMS, ALTERATIONS IN CONSCIOUSNESS, COMPLEX THOUGHT PROCESSES AND FEELING STATES, AUTOMATIC BEHAVIOR, HALLUCINATIONS, AND PARTIAL AMNESIA. ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) ABNORMALITIES WERE FOUND IN 11 OF THE 14 YOUTHS FOR WHOM EEG REPORTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE MOST COMMON EEG REPORT WAS OF GENERALIZED SLOWING, NONSPECIFIC, OR DIFFUSE ABNORMALITIES. A STRIKING FINDING WAS A HISTORY OF SERIOUS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TRAUMA (AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS, FALLS, ETC.) IN 15 OF THE CHILDREN. SIXTEEN OF THE CHILDREN HAD EXPERIENCED PARANOID SYMPTOMS THAT LED TO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. THE INCIDENCE OF OFFENSES AGAINST PERSONS WAS 50 PERCENT IN THE SAMPLE, COMPARED TO 2 TO 3 PERCENT IN THE TOTAL POPULATION REFERRED TO THE JUVENILE COURT. ALTHOUGH OCCASIONALLY THE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR OF THESE CHILDREN REPORTEDLY OCCURRED DURING ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, USUALLY AGGRESSION OCCURRED BETWEEN SEIZURES AND MOST OFTEN IN RESPONSE TO THE CHILD'S PERCIEVED (ACTUALLY MISPERCEIVED) SENSE OF BEING THREATENED. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PSYCHOMOTOR EPILEPSY IS PROBABLY MORE COMMON AMONG DELINQUENTS THAN HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND SHOULD BE PART OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS FOR COURT-REFERRED CHILDREN. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)