Late-onset epilepsy (LOE) first occurs after 60 years of age and may be due to occult cerebrovascular disease (CVD) which confers an increased risk of stroke. However, patients with late-onset epilepsy are not currently consistently investigated or treated for cerebrovascular risk factors. We discuss how abnormalities of neurovascular unit
function, namely, changes in regional cerebral blood flow and blood brain barrier
disruption, may be caused by occult cerebrovascular disease but present clinically as
late-onset epilepsy. We describe novel magnetic resonance imaging methods to
detect abnormal neurovascular unit function in subjects with LOE and controls. We hypothesise that occult CVD may cause LOE as a result of neurovascular unit dysfunction
