Having determined that the active status of CD8+ T lymphocytes increased both peripherally and centrally in perioperative stroke mice, we next sought to elucidate the direct effect of CD8+ T lymphocytes on brain infarct size and neurobehavioral deficits after tMCAO in perioperative stroke mice by in vivo depletion of CD8+ T cell populations using anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) (Fig. 4A). Here, CD8A is linked to brain infarction.