Method for treating conditions associated with fear memory

A method of screening for a drug candidate useful to treat in a mammal a condition associated with fear memory, comprising:

• a) assaying a compound for interaction with GluR6;
• b) assaying the compound for interaction with at least one other kainate receptor;
• and
• c) comparing the interaction of the compound with GluR6 and the at least one other kainate receptor, wherein interaction with GluR6 but not with said other kainate receptor indicates that the compound is a GluR6 selective drug candidate.

A method of screening for a drug candidate useful to treat in a mammal a condition associated with fear memory, comprising:

• 1) incubating a first mixture of labelled ligand with a GluR6 receptor-producing cell or with a membrane preparation derived therefrom followed by incubation with a drug candidate;
• 2) incubating a second mixture of labelled ligand with another kainate receptor-producing cell or with a membrane preparation derived therefrom followed by incubation with a drug candidate;
• and
• 3) measuring the amount of labelled ligand in the first and second mixtures that is displaced following incubation with the drug candidate, wherein a concentration of displaced labelled ligand in the first mixture as compared with the second mixture is indicative of selective GluR6 inhibition.