The invention relates to quinolyl nitrones with the formula (I), with high permeability to the hematoencephalic barrier and antioxidant and neuroprotective capacity, as potential pharmaceuticals for the treatment of ictus, cerebral ischemia and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, where X represents halogen, amino groups (substituted or not), alkoxy as methoxy, ethoxy, benzyloxy or thiophenyl. R1, R2 and R3 independently represent an alkyl radical C1-C6, (substituted or not), a phenyl group or aromatic ring with one or more heteroatoms, and substituted by groups of hdyroxyl, methoxy, trifluoromethyl, nitro, cyano, carbaldehyde, carboxylic, carboxylic ester, halogen or alkyl radical C1-C6 (substituted or not) and that are found in positions C2' 3' or 4' of the benzene ring or are heterocyclic with five or six links, such as furane, thiophene, pyrrole, pyridine, pyracin, pyradazine, pyramidine or indole.