The method for treating traumatic brain injury in an individual includes the step of administering a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutically acceptable gallium compound to a blood brain barrier of the individual within a therapeutically effective time period subsequent to the injury so as to reduce secondary injury in a brain of the individual. Secondary injuries include swelling of the brain after the initial injury, secondary lesions, hematomas, and edema. The effective amount and effective time period for the step of administering are established by test results disclosed in the present invention. Gallium compounds are shown to reduce oxidative stress levels in the brain, a metric for treatment of traumatic brain injury or concussion.
