In Auts2 mutant forebrains, the aberrant dendritic spine formation leads to the enhancement of excitatory synaptic inputs, which results in the changes in a balance between excitation and inhibition (E/I) that is observed in several otherwise different neuropsychiatric disorders such as ASDs and schizophrenia as well as mouse models (Lee et al., 2017, Penzes et al., 2011). The gene discussed is AUTS2; the disease is schizophrenia.