Pedro,

Instead of saying that you want to include the covariate in the analysis,
it's better to consider why you want to include the covariate and how it
changes the interpretation. You don't necessarily want to regress out
covariates, especially when the covariate is different between groups.

DO -- Different offsets, no covariate/no slope --> the offsets are the
group means not adjusted for covariates.
DOSS -- Different offset, same slope model --> If you don't subtract the
mean, then the offsets are the group means when the covariate is 0 for all
subjects. If you subtract the mean, then the offsets are the group means
when the the covariate is the mean covariate for all subjects. The
difference in offsets won't change with mean centering the covariate.
DODS -- Different offset, different slope model --> Not possible because
the covariate for controls is collinear with the group term.

There are other models that you could construct - such as only including a
covariate for the drug group, but the interpretation will once again be
different.

The bottom line is to decide what you want to test and how you want to
interpret the results before adding covariates.
With DOSS, you will reduce/increase the group differences (depending on the
slope of the covariate) because you are interpreting the results when the
covariate is 0 in the drug group.

Best,
Donald


Best Regards,
Donald McLaren, PhD


On Sat, May 7, 2016 at 3:18 PM, Pedro Rosa <pedrogomesr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear list,
> I am running a command line group analysis, and I want to include a
> covariate that is zero for all subjects in a group, and diverse for all
> subjects in the second group (medication intake, which is null for all
> subjects in the control group).
> This generates a lack of range of that continuous variable within a class
> (control group), and thus mri_glmfit ends with errors.
> Is it possible to perform such analysis? Could demeaning procedure work
> here?
> If not, how could I "regress out" the effect of such covariate in
> between-groups thickness/area differences?
> Many thanks in advance,
> Pedro.
>
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