A study led by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), led by Sushil Mahata and colleagues, has discovered a molecular switch that may be responsible for connecting amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles to cognitive decline. The findings were confirmed through a computer-powered scanning technique on genetic data points covering thousands of postmortem human brain samples. The researchers identified the protein chromogranin A (CgA) as a key driver in this gene network, which was also found to be crucial in asymptomatic Alzheimer's. The discovery could aid the development of treatments to tackle Alzheimer's symptoms.