SYP and dementia: Synaptophysin protein levels were lower inindividuals with dementia and correlated with cognitive function scores.84 The investigators concludedthat these protein levels may protect neuronal function in oldest-old individuals andreflect compensatory responses that may be involved with maintaining cognition.Similarly to these findings, we have also found that gene and protein expressionlevels of synaptic markers decrease in persons with dementia, regardless of age.85