Vascular risks linked to dementia and stroke after seizures that start at age 65 or older
Official title: Effects of vascular risk factors on risk for dementia and stroke after late-onset epilepsy (EpilepsyCOG)
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11299550 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether common blood-vessel risk factors raise the chance of dementia and stroke for people whose seizures begin at age 65 or older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $754,601 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG074355-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11299550 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults aged 65 or older who were recently diagnosed with epilepsy (seizures starting at age 65 or later).
✕Less likely to help
People younger than 65, or those whose epilepsy began many years earlier, are unlikely to be eligible or to get direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will look at people diagnosed with seizures at age 65 or older and compare their medical history, blood-vessel risk factors (like high blood pressure and diabetes), and brain imaging to similar people without late-onset seizures. They will use medical records and imaging to see if vascular problems or hidden blood-vessel injury in the brain explain higher dementia and stroke risk after late-onset epilepsy. The team plans to test whether current risk calculators miss people with late-onset epilepsy and develop better ways to spot those at high risk. Findings could guide doctors to add prevention steps into epilepsy care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors identify people with late-onset epilepsy who are at higher risk for dementia or stroke and offer targeted prevention to protect brain health.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked vascular risk factors, late-onset epilepsy, and higher dementia/stroke risk, but applying and improving risk prediction specifically for late-onset epilepsy is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Choi, Hyunmi — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Choi, Hyunmi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.