A pharmaceutical composition for cerebral function improvement

A cerebral function improving pharmaceutical composition containing as the active ingredient a compound represented by the following formula: wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom and R1 is a hydroxyl group and R3 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal or the residue of a C1-C12 monohydric, dihydric or trihydric alcohol or an ester of a compound of formula (1) which is an oligomer of 2 to 10 molecules of beta-hydroxybutyrate. The pharmaceutical composition suppresses cerebral edema, protects cerebral function, activates impaired cerebral energy metabolism, and reduces the extent of cerebral infarction.