Grading Point (normal = 0; maximum = 5) Normal walk 0 Flexion of forelimb (raising the rat by the tail)Q 1 Circling toward the paretic side (walking) 2 Falling down to the paretic side (walking) 3 No spontaneous walking, decreased consciousness 4 Ischemia-related deaths 5 Neurological function in the rats was assessed using the neurological severity scores, the higher the NSS score is, the more severe ischemia will be.

Table 1: Neurological Severity Scores, NSS.