Given that the neuronal-specific expression pattern of NPAS4–NuA4 is conserved in the human brain, in which neurons are subject to recurrent activity-induced DNA breaks over many decades, the NPAS4–NuA4 signalling axis may also serve as an important entry point to understanding the breakdown of cognitive and sensory processing in ageing and neurodegenerative diseases in humans. The gene discussed is NPAS4; the disease is neurodegenerative disease.