[R] Using lme (nlme) to find the conditional variance of the random effects

[Rick Bilonick]

Using lmer in the lme4 package, you can compute the conditional
variance-covariance matrix of the random effects using the bVar slot:

bVar: A list of the diagonal inner blocks (upper triangles only) of the
positive-definite matrices on the diagonal of the inverse of ZtZ+Omega.
With the appropriate scale factor (and conversion to a symmetric matrix)
these are the conditional variance-covariance matrices of the random
effects.

Is there anything similar in the nlme package using the lme function?

Rick B.