Maximum Likelihood Estimation under the Emax Model: Existence, Geometry and Efficiency

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aletti, Giacomo, Flournoy, Nancy, May, Caterina, Tommasi, Chiara
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866916786010587136
author Aletti, Giacomo
Flournoy, Nancy
May, Caterina
Tommasi, Chiara
author_facet Aletti, Giacomo
Flournoy, Nancy
May, Caterina
Tommasi, Chiara
contents This study focuses on the estimation of the Emax dose-response model, a widely utilized framework in clinical trials, agriculture, and environmental experiments. Existing challenges in obtaining maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) for model parameters are often ascribed to computational issues but, in reality, stem from the absence of a MLE. Our contribution provides a new understanding and control of all the experimental situations that practitioners might face, guiding them in the estimation process. We derive the exact MLE for a three-point experimental design and we identify the two scenarios where the MLE fails. To address these challenges, we propose utilizing Firth's modified score, providing its analytical expression as a function of the experimental design. Through a simulation study, we demonstrate that, in one of the problematic cases, the Firth modification yields a finite estimate. For the remaining case, we introduce a design-augmentation strategy akin to a hypothesis test.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_00354
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Maximum Likelihood Estimation under the Emax Model: Existence, Geometry and Efficiency
Aletti, Giacomo
Flournoy, Nancy
May, Caterina
Tommasi, Chiara
Methodology
Statistics Theory
Applications
This study focuses on the estimation of the Emax dose-response model, a widely utilized framework in clinical trials, agriculture, and environmental experiments. Existing challenges in obtaining maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) for model parameters are often ascribed to computational issues but, in reality, stem from the absence of a MLE. Our contribution provides a new understanding and control of all the experimental situations that practitioners might face, guiding them in the estimation process. We derive the exact MLE for a three-point experimental design and we identify the two scenarios where the MLE fails. To address these challenges, we propose utilizing Firth's modified score, providing its analytical expression as a function of the experimental design. Through a simulation study, we demonstrate that, in one of the problematic cases, the Firth modification yields a finite estimate. For the remaining case, we introduce a design-augmentation strategy akin to a hypothesis test.
title Maximum Likelihood Estimation under the Emax Model: Existence, Geometry and Efficiency
topic Methodology
Statistics Theory
Applications
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.00354