MAPT and Alzheimer disease: Previously, we showed (Härtig et al., 2007) in the basal forebrain projection system of hibernating hamsters that cholinergic neurons are selectively affected by PHF-like phosphorylated tau, while γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons are largely spared, similar to what has been observed in AD (Davies and Maloney, 1976; Whitehouse et al., 1981; Arendt et al., 1983; Härtig et al., 2002).