Researchers from UC San Diego have discovered new insights into a protein called Chromogranin A, or CgA, that could potentially determine if brain changes lead to memory loss. This discovery could pave the way for earlier detection and new strategies to prevent memory loss before symptoms begin. The study's co-senior author, Sushil Mahata, has been studying the protein for over three decades and has found that removal of CgAA protected against Alzheimer's-related damage in mice, and the protective effect was even stronger in females. The researchers used an advanced artificial intelligence-based framework to identify consistent molecular patterns linked to disease progression across multiple datasets. They also discovered peptides that work with Cg A to affect memory, with one promising to "overexpress" cognitive decline and another to reduce the expression of memory loss as a way to identify those susceptible to Alzheimer's disease.