Neuroligins are a family of proteins that are known to be mutated in some patients with autism. Along with the neurexin proteins, neuroligins are involved in the synapses which allow information to travel between cells in the nervous system. Study co-author Palmer Taylor says that understanding the mutations in these proteins may explain some of the early behavioral abnormalities associate with autism spectrum disorders: "Abnormal synaptic development in nerve connections is likely to lead to cognitive deficits seen in patients with autism."