DYRK1A and early-onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease: Interestingly, DYRK1A protein has been found to be associated with neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in sporadic Alzheimer's disease [8] and some studies have found a genetic association between SNPs within the DYRK1A locus and Alzheimer's disease in some populations [3] but not others [9].