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Main Authors: Yuan, Changhui, Zhao, Shishun, Li, Shuwei, Song, Xinyuan, Chen, Zhao
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.19763
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author Yuan, Changhui
Zhao, Shishun
Li, Shuwei
Song, Xinyuan
Chen, Zhao
author_facet Yuan, Changhui
Zhao, Shishun
Li, Shuwei
Song, Xinyuan
Chen, Zhao
contents Deep neural networks (DNNs) have become powerful tools for modeling complex data structures through sequentially integrating simple functions in each hidden layer. In survival analysis, recent advances of DNNs primarily focus on enhancing model capabilities, especially in exploring nonlinear covariate effects under right censoring. However, deep learning methods for interval-censored data, where the unobservable failure time is only known to lie in an interval, remain underexplored and limited to specific data type or model. This work proposes a general regression framework for interval-censored data with a broad class of partially linear transformation models, where key covariate effects are modeled parametrically while nonlinear effects of nuisance multi-modal covariates are approximated via DNNs, balancing interpretability and flexibility. We employ sieve maximum likelihood estimation by leveraging monotone splines to approximate the cumulative baseline hazard function. To ensure reliable and tractable estimation, we develop an EM algorithm incorporating stochastic gradient descent. We establish the asymptotic properties of parameter estimators and show that the DNN estimator achieves minimax-optimal convergence. Extensive simulations demonstrate superior estimation and prediction accuracy over state-of-the-art methods. Applying our method to the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset yields novel insights and improved predictive performance compared to traditional approaches.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_19763
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Interpretable Deep Regression Models with Interval-Censored Failure Time Data
Yuan, Changhui
Zhao, Shishun
Li, Shuwei
Song, Xinyuan
Chen, Zhao
Machine Learning
Statistics Theory
Deep neural networks (DNNs) have become powerful tools for modeling complex data structures through sequentially integrating simple functions in each hidden layer. In survival analysis, recent advances of DNNs primarily focus on enhancing model capabilities, especially in exploring nonlinear covariate effects under right censoring. However, deep learning methods for interval-censored data, where the unobservable failure time is only known to lie in an interval, remain underexplored and limited to specific data type or model. This work proposes a general regression framework for interval-censored data with a broad class of partially linear transformation models, where key covariate effects are modeled parametrically while nonlinear effects of nuisance multi-modal covariates are approximated via DNNs, balancing interpretability and flexibility. We employ sieve maximum likelihood estimation by leveraging monotone splines to approximate the cumulative baseline hazard function. To ensure reliable and tractable estimation, we develop an EM algorithm incorporating stochastic gradient descent. We establish the asymptotic properties of parameter estimators and show that the DNN estimator achieves minimax-optimal convergence. Extensive simulations demonstrate superior estimation and prediction accuracy over state-of-the-art methods. Applying our method to the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset yields novel insights and improved predictive performance compared to traditional approaches.
title Interpretable Deep Regression Models with Interval-Censored Failure Time Data
topic Machine Learning
Statistics Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.19763