The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) is a ligand-gated ion channel implicated in cognition and neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia1–3, Alzheimer’s disease (AD)4,5 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder6, addiction7, pain8,9, and Parkinson disease10. Here, CHRNA7 is linked to early-onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease.