We observed activated microglia/macrophages and increased GFAP immunoreactivity in the thalamus still at 4 mo post-stroke, and indeed, also in the intraluminal MCAo model microglial activation in the thalamus has been reported to be long-lasting, for up to 6 mo post-stroke (Justicia et al., 2008). This evidence concerns the gene GFAP and stroke disorder.