A common component of the contraceptive pill could improve the neurologic outcome for patients with severe head injuries, according to a new study. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as that caused by traffic accidents, falls and sporting injuries, is a major cause of death and disability. A number of ‘neuroprotective’ drugs have been shown to prevent nerve-cell death in animal models of traumatic brain injury, but these findings have not been translated into trials involving people with head injuries.