MAPT and Alzheimer disease: Moreover, a drug that opens mitochondrial potassium channels (diazoxide) can ameliorate cognitive defenses and lessen Aβ and p-Tau pathologies in a mouse model of AD.92 The latter finding is particularly interesting in light of recent evidence that polymorphisms in the gene encoding a subunit of the K+ channels activated by diazoxide may affect the risk of HSA.15,16