The present invention is directed to pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treating traumatic brain injury (TBI). The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treating a transient hypoxic and/or ischemic condition in the central nervous system. More specifically, the present invention is directed to pharmaceutical compositions and methods of reducing the occurrence of nerounal cell death in the central nervous system, such as, reducing the occurrence brain cell death in the hippocampus and/or the cortex.