A new linear regression-like residual for survival analysis, with application to genome wide association studies of time-to-event data

PLoS One. 2020 May 4;15(5):e0232300. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232300. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

In linear regression, a residual measures how far a subject's observation is from expectation; in survival analysis, a subject's Martingale or deviance residual is sometimes interpreted similarly. Here we consider ways in which a linear regression-like interpretation is not appropriate for Martingale and deviance residuals, and we develop a novel time-to-event residual which does have a linear regression-like interpretation. We illustrate the utility of this new residual via simulation of a time-to-event genome-wide association study, motivated by a real study seeking genetic modifiers of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. By virtue of its linear regression-like characteristics, our new residual may prove useful in other contexts as well.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Genome-Wide Association Study / methods*
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / genetics*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Time Factors

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov) grant NINDS NS085238 to VJV (KM Flanigan & RB Weiss co-PIs). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.