This section provides an overview of a likelihood-based approach to linear mixed models. This approach simplifies and unifies many common statistical analyses, including those that involve repeated measures, random effects, and random coefficients. The basic assumption is that the data are linearly related to unobserved multivariate normal random variables. For extensions to nonlinear and nonnormal situations, see the documentation of the GLIMMIX and NLMIXED procedures in the SAS/STAT User's Guide. Additional theory and examples are provided in Littell et al. (2006); Verbeke and Molenberghs (1997, 2000); and Burdick and Graybill (1992).