What if amyloid plaques are not the whole story of Alzheimer's disease? New research suggests that a broad range of Alzheimer's pathologies may be orchestrated by a molecular switch called ERBB4 when it turns on in the wrong neurons.
Once activated, this misplaced signal can set off a chain reaction that disrupts brain circuits, eliminates synapses, activates glial cells, increases amyloid pathology and impairs memory.