  The R package lcmm provides a series of functions to estimate statistical
models based on linear mixed model theory. It includes the estimation of mixed
models and latent class mixed models for Gaussian longitudinal outcomes (hlme),
curvilinear and ordinal univariate longitudinal outcomes (lcmm) and curvilinear
multivariate outcomes (multlcmm), as well as joint latent class mixed models
(Jointlcmm) for a (Gaussian or curvilinear) longitudinal outcome and a
time-to-event that can be possibly left-truncated right-censored and defined in
a competing setting. Maximum likelihood esimators are obtained using a modified
Marquardt algorithm with strict convergence criteria based on the parameters
and likelihood stability, and on the negativity of the second derivatives. The
package also provides various post-fit functions including goodness-of-fit
analyses, classification, plots, predicted trajectories, individual dynamic
prediction of the event and predictive accuracy assessment. This paper
constitutes a companion paper to the package by introducing each family of
models, the estimation technique, some implementation details and giving
examples through a dataset on cognitive aging.
