This last issue of the 2008 Volume is devoted to the neurophysiological and clinical aspects of posture and balance control. It has been designed by Patrice Rougier and Daniel Perennou and consists of a variety of selected papers dealing with both fundamental and clinical aspects of balance disorders. Thanks to the efforts of the local organizer, Philippe Dupui, we were also able to include the abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Association Posture Équilibre (APE), held in Toulouse in December 2008.

I would like to warmly congratulate and thank Patrice and Daniel for their magnificent job, for three main reasons. Firstly, they designed a particularly well-balanced (it is only common task for APE members) program between fundamental and clinical aspects. The former, fundamental, part really helps understand the rationale of clinical and technical tools of posture and balance evaluation. The latter, clinical, part provides an innovative view of the best way to deal with such clinically essential problems as balance disorders in the elderly, Parkinsonʼs disease or postural consequences of rheumatologic and orthopaedic disorders. Secondly, they have been able to motivate their authors to present very complex notions in a particularly didactic way. Thirdly, they convincingly informed their authors on the necessity to respect very limiting deadlines, which made it possible to include this issue in the briefcase of all participants of the Toulouse APE meeting. I take this opportunity also to warmly thank the authors for their efforts.

As the chief editor of NCCN, I am very pleased that our Journal provides a platform for posture and balance specialists. As a clinical neurophysiologist, I am sure that our guests will open NCCN readers to an unusual and, paradoxically, very close domain of clinical neurosciences. Indeed, balance control constitutes a typical example of a highly integrative system involving sensory afferents, motor pathways, and both cerebral and cerebellar interfaces. This is why all clinical neurophysiological tools – EEG, evoked potentials, and EMG – have a possible role to play in the assessment of balance disorders. Another important lesson of this special issue is the importance of introducing the cognitive and psychiatric dimensions in the assessment of dizzy or unsteady patients, especially the oldest ones.

Finally, I take this opportunity to invite you to the 2009 Congress of the Société de Neurophysiologie Clinique de Langue Française, which will be held in Brussels on June 10–12. Several specific themes will be dealt with: pain assessment, neuronavigation and brain stimulation, clinical neurophysiologic assessment in paediatrics and geriatrics, medical expertise, and clinical neurophysiology in psychiatry. There will be room for free communication. Some practical workshops will also be organised… and time will be left to enjoy the very particular and rewarding atmosphere of the long summer evenings in Brussels. More details will be given in the following issues. It will be my great pleasure to host you.

Meanwhile, I wish you a very interesting lecture and my best Seasonʼs Greetings.