A new class of compounds, given orally, protects brain cells from the damage caused by blast-induced traumatic brain injury and preserves normal brain functions, even when the compound is given 24 to 36 hours after the injury occurs. The researchers hope that this family of compounds might be developed into a new class of neuroprotective drugs for TBI and other currently untreatable forms of neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer's disease and ALS.