Here, we characterised 44 target genes strongly influenced by XBP1 and ATF6 and quantified the expression of a subset of genes in the human post-mortem spinal cord from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases and in the frontal and temporal cortex from frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cases and controls. The gene discussed is XBP1; the disease is frontotemporal dementia.