Abstract: The present invention relates to the identification and use of compounds that are inhibitors of the alanine-serine-cysteine transporter 1 (asc-1). This includes an assay for the identification of compounds that are inhibitors of asc-1, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds. The invention also comprises a method for the use of these compositions for the treatment, alleviation or amelioration of memory and attention deficits resulting from but not limited to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, trauma and stroke, and for enhancement of learning and memory ability in a human not suffering from any neurological disorders. Finally, the invention comprises methods for use of the compositions for alleviation or amelioration of conditions in which there is altered glutamatergic or dopaminergic neurotransmission such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression, obsessive compulsive disorders and bipolar disorders.