Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease resulting from synaptic plasticity failure. BC200 RNA plays a role in the dendrites of neurons thought to modulate synthesis of proteins that influence this plasticity. Researchers posit that upregulation of BC200 RNA results in an inadequate delivery of RNA to the neuronal synapses, thus resulting in neurodegeneration. In comparing healthy brains with those with AD, it was determined that BC200 RNA is upregulated in the brains of people with AD, most notably in areas of the brain that correspond to the disease. A direct relationship was observed here, the more severe the disease, the higher the levels of BC200 RNA there were. This is in contrast to a normal aging brain where a steady decrease of this RNA is observed between the ages of 49 and 86.