Because changes in tau phosphorylation state and solubility have been correlated with the extent of synaptic loss in AD,16 next brain cortices were assayed for steady-state levels of three major synaptic proteins: MAP2, SYP and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), indices of pre- and post-synaptic integrity, respectively. The gene discussed is MAP2; the disease is Alzheimer disease.