Interestingly, in models of brain ischemia, there is a selective sparing of SOM/NPY expressing interneurons in striatum as demonstrated in a gerbil and in a rat model of global forebrain ischemia at different time points after stroke (4 days and 2–28 days respectively) (Uemura et al. 1990; Larsson et al. 2001). The gene discussed is NPY; the disease is stroke disorder.