Aitkin M
Department of Statistics, University of Newcastle, Newcastle-upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, U.K.
Stat Med. 1999;18(17-18):2343-51. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0258(19990915/30)18:17/18<2343::aid-sim260>3.0.co;2-3.
The meta-analysis of multi-centre trials can be based on either fixed or random effect models. This paper argues for the general use of random effect models, and illustrates the value of non-parametric maximum likelihood (NPML) analysis of such trials. The same general approach unifies administrative 'league table' analyses in epidemiological and other studies. Several examples of the NPML analysis are given, including a 70-centre trial.
多中心试验的荟萃分析可以基于固定效应模型或随机效应模型。本文主张普遍使用随机效应模型，并阐述了对此类试验进行非参数最大似然（NPML）分析的价值。同样的一般方法统一了流行病学和其他研究中的行政“排行榜”分析。给出了NPML分析的几个例子，包括一项有70个中心参与的试验。
