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. 2025 Oct 10;76:101634. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101634

Table 2.

Serial mediation outcomes linking brain, alexithymia, and e-cigarette use.

Task Performance W1b (M1) Difficulty Describing Feelings W1b (M2) E-cigarette Use W2 (Y)
lPFC (activation) Coefficient (95 % CI) SE z Value Coefficient (95 % CI) SE z Value Coefficient (95 % CI) SE z Value
Intercept 3.14 (−0.02, 1.04) 0.27 1.86 1.18 (−10.36, 21.20) 7.84 0.70 −2.46 (−177.15, 18.52) 51.53 −1.38
Age 0.01 (−0.03, 0.04) 0.02 0.10 0.11 (−0.25, 1.70) 0.50 1.49 0.09 (−2.76, 11.32) 3.54 1.09
Sexa −0.09 (−0.08, 0.02) 0.03 −1.11 −1.17* (−3.10, 0.04) 0.77 −1.99 0.12 (−2.58, 19.36) 5.54 1.26
Ethnicityb −0.03 (−0.11, 0.08) 0.05 −0.33 0.11 (−0.62, 3.69) 1.07 1.33 −0.08 (−20.63, 4.08) 6.46 −0.99
Lifetime E-Cig. Use (W1a) 0.01 (−0.06, 0.07) 0.03 0.08 −0.07 (−2.32, 0.75) 0.78 −0.89 0.25* (3.74, 28.45) 6.47 2.34
R lPFC (W1b) 0.27** (0.05, 0.35) 0.07 2.77 −0.16* (−7.09, −0.11) 1.73 −2.00 0.002 (−20.51, 18.62) 9.84 0.02
Task Performance (W1b) - - - - −0.13 (−8.70, 1.23) 2.50 −1.49 0.02 (−21.79, 25.69) 11.67 0.34
Difficulty Describing Feelings (W1b) - - - - - - - - 0.20* (0.22, 2.54) 0.60 2.05
R2= 0.08 R2= 0.11 R2= 0.12
STG (deactivation) Task Performance W1b (M1) Difficulty Describing Feelings W1b (M2) E-cigarette Use W2 (Y)
Intercept 2.86 (−0.15, 1.02) 0.29 1.62 1.35 (−7.83, 19.88) 7.51 0.83 −2.47 (−171.30, 25.25) 50.82 −1.41
Age 0.03 (−0.03, 0.05) 0.02 0.40 0.10 (−0.22, 1.68) 0.50 1.34 0.09 (−3.28, 10.45) 3.42 1.08
Sexa −0.10 (−0.09, 0.03) 0.03 −1.14 −0.16† (−2.99, 0.10) 0.78 −1.89 0.12 (−2.17, 20.01) 5.71 1.17
Ethnicityb −0.03 (−0.09, 0.08) 0.05 −0.26 0.11 (−0.84, 3.61) 1.14 1.23 −0.08 (−21.97, 3.62) 6.75 −1.00
Lifetime E-Cig. Use (W1a) −0.03 (−0.07, 0.05) 0.03 −0.30 −0.05 (−2.08, 1.08) 0.79 −0.64 0.25* (4.14, 28.60) 6.42 2.34
L STG (W1b) −0.26** (−0.32, −0.05) 0.06 −2.84 0.20* (0.73, 7.85) 1.78 2.17 −0.06 (−24.01, 8.62) 8.15 −0.89
Task Performance (W1b) - - - - −0.12 (−8.55, 1.03) 2.39 −1.47 0.01 (−22.61, 25.82) 11.87 0.14
Difficulty Describing Feelings (W1b) - - - - - - - - 0.21* (0.28, 2.71) 0.63 2.07
R2= 0.07 R2= 0.12 R2= 0.12

Note. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, †p = marginal; W1a = Wave 1, Visit 1; W1b = Wave 1, Visit 2; W2 = Wave 2; a Female= 0, Male= 1; b non-Hispanic/Latino(a)= 0, Hispanic/Latino(a)= 1. Coefficients represent standardized effects. See also Fig. 3. lPFC activations and STG deactivations are at the 3-back level. Task performance = d-prime at the 3-back level.