The overall importance of α2δ subunits is emphasized by their involvement in various neurological disorders: CACNA2D1 and CACNA2D2, the genes encoding α2δ-1 and α2δ-2, have been linked to epilepsy (Chioza et al., 2009; Edvardson et al., 2013; Pippucci et al., 2013; Vergult et al., 2015; Butler et al., 2018); CACNA2D3 is a potential risk gene for autism spectrum disorders (Iossifov et al., 2012; De Rubeis et al., 2014); and all three genes may be associated with schizophrenia (Purcell et al., 2014; Moons et al., 2016). The gene discussed is ATXN2L; the disease is autism spectrum disorder.