Episodic dyscontrol syndrome

Episodic dyscontrol syndrome may affect both children and adults. Those who treat children with neurological disorders are likely to see patients referred for investigation of outbursts of aggressive behaviour, especially if episodes are possibly of an epileptic nature. This may occasionally be the case, but in some children it seems that their threshold to such behaviour is abnormally low, and this may also result from defects in the biochemistry or structure of the brain. There is nothing calculated about this behaviour, and it cannot be explained by justifiable anger, such as the result of frustration. Boys are affected more frequently than girls, and the syndrome is more often seen among urban than rural populations. Such outbursts can occur in isolation, but also after a series of minor episodes such as the crying of a younger sibling for nights on end. The outbursts may be very brief or last several hours.