FTLD-tau mice were reported to develop a progressive accumulation of misfolded tau, synaptic loss and inflammatory gliosis30, leading to the manifestation of phenotypic abnormalities at around 6 months of age34 and neuronal loss represented by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detectable hippocampal atrophy at 9–12 months30. Here, MAPT is linked to hippocampal atrophy.