Moreover, α2δ subunits are potential risk genes for autism spectrum disorders (Iossifov et al., 2012; De Rubeis et al., 2014) and schizophrenia (Purcell et al., 2014; Moons et al., 2016), diseases classically associated with altered neuronal connectivity (Belmonte et al., 2004; Fornito and Bullmore, 2015). This evidence concerns the gene ATXN2L and autism spectrum disorder.