From the time of the Isle of Wight study¹ it became evident that children with epilepsy who also had other brain problems had a high rate of behavioural disturbance. Although there is a lack of good epidemiological studies of behavioural/psychiatric disorders in adults with epilepsy and learning disability (intellectual disability, mental retardation), it appears that such disorders are common.^2,3 Any serious attempt to determine the factors responsible for these associations is to be welcomed. The paper by Espie et al on p 000⁴ is in this category and the authors are to …