Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). a controversial treatment suggested for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other conditions, was evaluated in a meta-analysis of 34 studies that examined EMDR with a variety of populations and measures. Process and outcome measures were examined separately, and EMDR showed an effect on both when compared with no treatment and with therapies not using exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli and in pre-post EMDR comparisons. However, no significant effect was found when EMDR was compared with other exposure techniques. No incremental effect of eye movements was noted when EMDR was compared with the same procedure without them. R. J. DeRubeis and P. Crits-Christoph (1998) noted that EMDR is a potentially effective treatment for noncombat PTSD, but studies that examined such patient groups did not give clear support to this. In sum. EMDR appears to be no more effective than other exposure techniques, and evidence suggests that the eye movements integral to the treatment, and to its name, are unnecessary.

Recent behavioural and computational studies suggest that access to internal predictive models of arm and object dynamics is widespread in the sensorimotor system. Several systems, including those responsible for oculomotor and skeletomotor control, perceptual processing, postural control and mental imagery, are able to access predictions of the motion of the arm. A capacity to make and use predictions of object dynamics is similarly widespread. Here, we review recent studies looking at the predictive capacity of the central nervous system which reveal pervasive access to forward models of the environment.

SUMMAR Y We investigated the occurrence of lapses of responsiveness (lapses) in 15 non-sleepdeprived subjects performing a 1D continuous tracking task during normal working hours. Tracking behaviour, facial video, and electroencephalogram (EEG) were recorded simultaneously during two 1-h sessions. Rate and duration were estimated for lapses identified by a tracking flat spot and/or video sleep. Fourteen of the 15 subjects had one or more lapses, with an overall rate of 39.3 ± 12.9 lapses per hour (mean ± SE) and a lapse duration of 3.4 ± 0.5 s. We also found that subjectsÕ performance improved towards the end of the 1-h long session, even though no external temporal cues were available. Spectral power was found to be higher during lapses in the delta, theta, and alpha bands, and lower in the beta, gamma, and higher bands, but correlations between changes in EEG power and lapses were low. In conclusion, lapses are a frequent phenomenon in normal subjects -even when not sleep-deprived -engaged in an extended monotonous continuous visuomotor task. This is of particular importance to the transport sector in which there is a need to maintain sustained attention for extended periods of time and in which lapses can lead to multiple-fatality accidents.

Dropout from treatment and relapse after temporary improvement account for a substantial amount of uncontrolled diabetes, and overcoming the obstacles of dropout and relapse has potential for significant improvement in diabetes care.