*4.7. Statistics*

Experiments were performed in accordance with the University of North Carolina's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the ARRIVE guidelines, and the following suggested STAIR criteria [72]: investigators were blinded during data analysis where possible; no data points were identified as outliers by statistical test and none were excluded; all results were fully disclosed including negative results; the review, discussion and citation of the literature was unbiased; pMCAO was used to permanently recruit blood flow across pial collaterals. Values are mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis (*p* < 0.05 = significant) is described in the figure legends.
