Fig. 6

Causal network in the mental arithmetic tasks obtained by uGCA methods and conventional GCA, respectively. With the conventional GCA approach, connected edges of causal networks in two different stimuli were to a large extent distinct. In contrast, for uGCA methods, their connection networks commonly showed high similarities. Node 1, 2, 3, 4 was involving the inside network of mental arithmetic tasks. As for different stimuli input nodes, they were CAL.L, CAL.R, ITG.L, and ITG.R, respectively. The solid lines represent causal connectivities within the mental arithmetic network, and the dashed lines represent causal connectivities involving the input stimulus nodes