Furthermore, it has been reported elsewhere that in Tg2576 mice (in the absence of neuronal loss) there is an increase in caspase-3 activation in the hippocampus [46], as found in our study, at the onset of memory impairment, together with a reduction in dendritic spines prior to the deposition of extracellular amyloid [46]. The gene discussed is CASP3; the disease is memory impairment.