A scorpion venom heat-resistant synthetic peptide (SVHRSP) contains an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO 1. One or more amino acids the amino acid sequence can be substituted or deleted. A pharmaceutical composition that contains the SVHRSP has numerous applications. The pharmaceutical composition can be used to protect neuronal cell against amyloid beta-induced toxic effects, or to inhibit the sodium channel current of a hippocampal neuronal cell, or to protect a neuronal cell against NMDA-induced injury. It may also promotes the formation of a pluripotent neural stem cell from a type II astrocyte, or treats a subject, such as a human, having epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, or Parkinson's disease.