Dissecting the roles for excitatory and inhibitory neurons in STXBP1 encephalopathy

A recent study from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital has discovered that inhibitory and excitatory neurons play distinct roles in the pathogenesis of STXBP1 encephalopathy, one of the top five causes of pediatric epilepsies and among the most frequent causes of neurodevelopmental disorders. This early-onset disorder is caused by spontaneous mutations in the syntaxin-binding protein 1 (STXBP1) gene.