eIF2α (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α) phosphorylation converts itself into a competitive inhibitor of eIF2B (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, thereby aggravating cognitive deficits after traumatic brain injury (Tsai et al., 2018; Zyryanova et al., 2018). Here, EIF2A is linked to brain injury.