Higher VEGF levels have been associated with optimal brain aging (i.e., higher hippocampal volume and less hippocampal atrophy/cognitive decline over time; Hohman et al. 2015), particularly among individuals showing early hallmarks of the AD cascade (e.g., elevated levels of tau), as well as better memory and language performance among individuals already diagnosed with AD (Alvarez et al. 2018). This evidence concerns the gene MAPT and Alzheimer disease.