Researchers demonstrated that the Neurexin1 gene deletion reduces glucose metabolism in the prefrontal cortex, a key brain region involved in higher-level cognitive functions. Neurexin1 deletion was also found to reduce insulin receptor signaling in the prefrontal cortex, which likely underlies the reduced glucose metabolism seen in this region. People with this deletion are likely to develop neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, schizophrenia, and Tourette’s syndrome.