Epilepsy and delinquent behavior

Many authors through medical history have established that epilepsy and violent behavior are related. Although not corroborated in all the studies focussing on this matter, prevalence data show an increase number or epilepsy patients between prisoners, and is also found altered electroencephalograms in some violent people. A relation between a specific type of epilepsy and these behavior it has not been discovered. This connection between epilepsy and antisocial behavior have been studied in the ictal and interictal period and explained through different ways. Specific criteria have been described by some authors, trying to evaluate if the fit and the crime are closely related, but no characteristic type of crime is related with epileptic patients. We have made a review of the literature on this topic, considering the legal aspects and with reference to various countries justice resolutions. Language: es