compounds of a new class of alkyl carboxy amino acid analogs of glutamic acid act as specific regulators of the kainic acid eaa receptor cation channel . these compounds are useful for treating neurological , neuropsychological , neuropsychiatric , neurodegenerative , neuropsychopharmacological and functional disorders associated with excessive or insufficient activation of the kainic acid subtype of the ionotropic eaa receptors ; treating cognitive disorders associated with deactivation , suboptimal activation or over - activation of the kainic acid receptor ; alleviating pain and improving and enhancing memory , learning , and associated mental processes . a method for designing novel ampa or kainic acid receptor agonists or antagonists is also disclosed .