Theoretical Considerations in the Estimation of the Signal-to-Noise Crossover Dose

A goal of health risk assessment is the determination of the reference dose. The estimation of the point of departure plays an important role in the derivation of the reference dose. The method of benchmark dose has been widely employed in the determination of the point of departure. However, due to some practical constraints, the method sometimes faces difficulty in determining an appropriate increase in risk that meets the definition of the reference dose. As an alternative, the method of the signal-to-noise crossover dose (SNCD) was introduced in 2011. One of the main objectives here is to develop an optimal design for the SNCR: an additional risk associated with the SNCD. The feasibility of the optimal design is also investigated under different dose-response relationships.