  We propose nonparametric methods for functional linear regression which are
designed for sparse longitudinal data, where both the predictor and response
are functions of a covariate such as time. Predictor and response processes
have smooth random trajectories, and the data consist of a small number of
noisy repeated measurements made at irregular times for a sample of subjects.
In longitudinal studies, the number of repeated measurements per subject is
often small and may be modeled as a discrete random number and, accordingly,
only a finite and asymptotically nonincreasing number of measurements are
available for each subject or experimental unit. We propose a functional
regression approach for this situation, using functional principal component
analysis, where we estimate the functional principal component scores through
conditional expectations. This allows the prediction of an unobserved response
trajectory from sparse measurements of a predictor trajectory. The resulting
technique is flexible and allows for different patterns regarding the timing of
the measurements obtained for predictor and response trajectories. Asymptotic
properties for a sample of $n$ subjects are investigated under mild conditions,
as $n\to \infty$, and we obtain consistent estimation for the regression
function. Besides convergence results for the components of functional linear
regression, such as the regression parameter function, we construct asymptotic
pointwise confidence bands for the predicted trajectories. A functional
coefficient of determination as a measure of the variance explained by the
functional regression model is introduced, extending the standard $R^2$ to the
functional case. The proposed methods are illustrated with a simulation study,
longitudinal primary biliary liver cirrhosis data and an analysis of the
longitudinal relationship between blood pressure and body mass index.
