Ascorbic acid (AA), a well-known antioxidant, may play a significant role to protect neuronal cells against oxidative stress. Dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) is regenerated into AA at the expense of reduced GSH within the cells. The present study examined the effects of AA and DHA on functional recovery from spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. AA or DHA was injected intravenously in the SCI rat model. The rats injected with DHA showed effective behavioral recovery compared with the saline-treated group. However, there was no significant difference between the AA treated group and the saline treated group. These results suggest that DHA may improve functional recovery from spinal cord injury and may provide an insight into a therapeutic approach on neurodegenerative disorders.