A variety of health claims involving CBD as a catch-all wellness product have been made, but it is only for treating epilepsy that is well established, said Richard Miller, author, professor of pharmacology at Northwestern University and narcotics expert. Beyond that, we’re not 100 percent sure what CBD does, Miller said.

Dr. Michael J. Schrift, Chief of Geriatric and Neuro-psychiatry at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, commented by email, “Studies show that when depression is co-occurring with arthritis and the depression is not being addressed, the treatment for arthritis itself can be less effective.” “Both depression and arthritis affect the brain and the body and likely (have) a bidirectional association,” he told Reuters Health. “Inflammation in arthritis involves not only the affected joint, but also the brain. Also, changes in the brain affect one’s pain perception.”

Study author Linda Van Horn said the study aimed to see if women could safely avoid excess weight gain during pregnancy. “The majority of pregnant women are overweight or obese at the time of conception. It’s a major public health concern,” said Van Horn, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The U.S Institute of Medicine recommends that normal-weight women gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy, but just 15 to 25 pounds if they’re overweight at the start of pregnancy. Women who are obese should only gain 11 to 20 pounds while expecting, the IOM says.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital dietitian Bethany Doerfler said she finds the switch encouraging. It will model the conversations she has with her patients — which are about not simply avoiding one food or focusing on one thing, but instead focusing on their overall health beyond weight. “I think it’s fabulous,” she said. “I personally like my patients to think about their whole mind-body connection when they’re making a lifestyle change, not just what they’re eating, but their sleep, their stress levels, their exercise regimen.

As they looked at the data it appeared that people clustered around four different areas, and those emerged as the different personalities. “The findings suggest there are types,” Luis Amaral, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering and an author of the paper told TODAY. “These (types) are sort of more of an attractor for these personality traits.”

The SuperAging Study, an ongoing clinical trial at Northwestern University, includes people who are older than 80 but still have the memory of someone in their 50s. It’s not such a tall order. Exceptionally old age and exceptionally good health for that age, both in body and brain, seem to go hand in hand. “We think they might be on a different trajectory of aging,” says Emily Rogalski, PhD, who leads the SuperAging Study.

Urge incontinence, or overactive bladder, occurs when “the bladder squeezes and pushes urine out when you’re not asking it to,” explained Dr. Stephanie Kielb, an associate professor of urology, medical education and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Stress incontinence occurs when there is increased pressure on the abdomen and you leak urine after sneezing or coughing.”

Even those with 20-20 vision can experience problems with daily living if their contrast sensitivity is impaired, said Dr. Nicholas J. Volpe, George and Edwina Tarry Professor and chairman of the department of ophthalmology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Contrast sensitivity declines as we age, Volpe said. But the new study suggests there might be other factors that can affect it.