The function of ENSG00000144285 (SCN1A, sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 1) is as follows. Pore-forming subunit of Nav1.1, a voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel that directly mediates the depolarizing phase of action potentials in excitable membranes. Navs, also called VGSCs (voltage- gated sodium channels) or VDSCs (voltage-dependent sodium channels), operate by switching between closed and open conformations depending on the voltage difference across the membrane. In the open conformation they allow Na(+) ions to selectively pass through the pore, along their electrochemical gradient. The influx of Na(+) ions provokes membrane depolarization, initiating the propagation of electrical signals throughout cells and tissues (PubMed:14672992). By regulating the excitability of neurons, ensures that they respond appropriately to synaptic inputs, maintaining the balance between excitation and inhibition in brain neural circuits (By similarity). Nav1.1 plays a role in controlling the excitability and action potential propagation from somatosensory neurons, thereby contributing to the sensory perception of mechanically-induced pain (By similarity). .