Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Florida Atlantic University have used the “Granger causality” technique, originally developed to use current economic data to forecast changes in the economy, to determine the flow of information from one part of the brain to another.

The economic technique involves comparisons of streams of data known as time series, such as fluctuations in the stock market index.

It will provide important insights into brain organization and function, advancing efforts to help patients recover from brain injuries and mental disorders.