Whole-brain statistical analysis was performed using a multi-stage approach to implement a mixed-effects model treating pre/post priming session as a fixed-effects variable and participants as a random-effects variable. Explanatory variables for the alcohol cues task were created by convolving delta functions representing the onset of the taste period for each trial type (see Figure 1) with a double-gamma hemodynamic response function (HRF) in FEAT. Alcohol and Water cue exposure trials were modeled as separate event types. As previously done (25), the onset for each event was set at the first instruction to swallow (10s after the initial taste cue was presented) with duration of 20s plus the response time for the urge-to-drink rating. Temporal derivatives were included as covariates of no interest to improve statistical sensitivity. Null events, consisting of the post-response rating period, rest period, and first cue delivery, were not explicitly modeled and therefore constituted an implicit baseline. The following contrasts were computed: (a) Alcohol versus baseline, (b) Water versus baseline, (c) Water versus Alcohol, and (d) Alcohol versus Water, which was the primary contrast of interest.
