Alzheimer's tau protein has a surprising secret role in memory

Tau, a protein long linked to Alzheimer's disease, also plays a key role in forming lasting memories, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. Researchers found that tau helps select which brain cells store a memory and reduces background "noise" during memory formation. Importantly, abnormal tau disrupts both creating and retrieving memories, suggesting dementia involves memory access problems, not just memory loss.