Jill Adams
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Science journalist, past president of NASW.
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Articles by Jill Adams
Health: Managing mental health when you’re sick
The winter months bring a variety of things. Some of those are the flu, germs, COVID-19, sinus infections, colds, RSV, and other illnesses that we would rather not deal with if we can help it. We are pretty well versed in how to help prevent illnesses such as washing your hands, staying home when you’re not feeling well, drinking plenty of liquids, and scheduling an appointment to see your doctor if symptoms persist. But what about your emotional and mental health?
Health: Daylight savings
It’s that time of year again when everyone debates whether we really need daylight savings time. No matter your opinion, the classic “fall back” daylight savings time is arriving as scheduled on Sunday, November 5 at 2 a.m. Some people like to look at this time change as an extra hour in their day; a time to sleep in or stay up later to soak in the time. Despite the extra hour, however, adjusting to the time change can be difficult.
Prepping for Daylight Saving Time: Adjusting to the 'Fall Back' Time Shift
It’s that time of year again when everyone debates whether we really need daylight savings time. No matter your opinion, the classic “fall back” daylight savings time is arriving as scheduled on Sunday, November 5 at 2 a.m. Some people like to look at this time change as an extra hour in their day; a time to sleep in or stay up later to soak in the time. Despite the extra hour, however, adjusting to the time change can be difficult.
Adult-onset asthma is common. What to consider if you're diagnosed.
I used to think asthma was a condition you either had or didn't, and that it was typically diagnosed in childhood. That changed when I was diagnosed with asthma in my 50s. I'm not alone. In the United States, 21 million adults (8.4 percent of adults) have asthma, compared with 4.2 million children (5.8 percent). More than half of U.S. women over age 40 with asthma were diagnosed as adults.
Women scientists at famed oceanography institute have half the lab space of men
Women constitute 26% of the scientists at the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), but only hold 17% of the space, according to an unprecedented report released last week. SIO’s 56 women scientists have on average half as much research space and one-third the storage space of their 157 male counterparts, according to the 95-page report by a task force of SIO faculty and staff and UCSD officials.
Perspective | More than reading glasses — new options for ‘old’ eyes
Comment on this story Comment The restaurant had tablecloths, low lighting and large, leather-bound menus with a fanciful script describing the fare. But these otherwise appealing features forced me to hold the oversize menu above the table at arm’s length to make out my choices. My table mates chuckled as they reached for their reading glasses. Doctors call it presbyopia, a term rooted in Greek and meaning “old eye,” and it happens to everyone at some point.
How should you deal with sore muscles?
Placeholder while article actions load The spring weather may have prompted you to start running outside or you may be considering returning to the gym, when the coronavirus seems less of a risk. I'm looking forward to hiking in the mountains of New York once mud season has passed. You might expect to feel out of shape, and you probably gird yourself for the sore muscles you'll have after that first real workout. What is that soreness all about? Is it an indicator of damage or of growth?
Why sweat shouldn't get you hot and bothered
By Jill U. Adams Special to the Washington Post Perhaps you have mixed feelings about sweat. Or maybe you’re solidly on Team Yuck. “Sweat kind of gets a bad rap,” says Lindsay Baker, an exercise physiologist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Barrington, Ill. “But it’s a good thing.” That’s because sweat is the human body’s terrifically efficient way of cooling down when you’re outside in 90-degree weather or when you exercise.
Why sweat shouldn't get you hot and bothered
Perhaps you have mixed feelings about sweat. Or maybe you're solidly on Team Yuck. "Sweat kind of gets a bad rap," says Lindsay Baker, an exercise physiologist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Barrington, Ill. "But it's a good thing." That's because sweat is the human body's terrifically efficient way of cooling down when you're outside in 90-degree weather or when you exercise.
Don’t get hot and bothered by sweat. It’s a healthy way of cooling down your body.
Perhaps you have mixed feelings about sweat. Or maybe you’re solidly on Team Yuck. “Sweat kind of gets a bad rap,” says Lindsay Baker, an exercise physiologist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Barrington, Ill. “But it’s a good thing.” That’s because sweat is the human body’s terrifically efficient way of cooling down when you’re outside in 90-degree weather or when you exercise.
Spotted around the web: Microbiota therapies, face processing in autism, Ninja Training
Research roundup Endocrine-related conditions, including menstrual irregularities and excess androgens, occur more often in autistic women than in non-autistic women and correlate with autism traits. Autism Mice missing one copy of the autism-linked gene WDFY3 have mitochondrial dysfunction and a reduced number of synapses in the cerebellum as adults.
Spotted around the web: Cannabinoid receptor, survey snafus, auditory test for autism
WEEK OF July 5th Research roundup Mice lacking the cannabinoid receptor CB1R display altered social behavior and communication. Autism Research The potential pitfalls of using online surveys to collect data from autistic adults include selection bias and an inability to identify participants. Autism in Adulthood Researchers have developed, in insects, an automated method to assess neuronal connectivity, which is thought to be altered in autism.
Spotted around the web: Melatonin trial, striatum activity, CNTNAP2 timing
Research roundup Mutations in the gene TCF4, which cause a form of autism called Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, may drive changes in brain interneurons. Developmental Neuroscience Defining individualized outcomes for adults with autism, who have a range of abilities and challenges, could aid intervention studies. Autism Pediatricians can help educate autistic teenagers about their own sexuality, including their changing bodies, feelings and behaviors.
Spotted around the web: Autistic parents, dopamine signaling, African neuroscience research
WEEK OF June 14th Research roundup Autistic adults define autistic burnout as a debilitating condition distinct from depression and non-autistic burnout, according to a new study. Autism Differences in brain structures can be correlated with social-communication problems in people with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cerebral Cortex Women on the spectrum have strengths and challenges as parents, according to a new study.
Spotted around the web: Extraordinary talents, face value, autism app
WEEK OF June 7th Research roundup Autistic people who ruminate, dwelling on feelings of guilt or self-critical thoughts, may be at an elevated risk for depression. Autism Neuronal connectivity may be altered more in autistic boys with multiple gene variants than in autistic girls with a similar genetic load. Brain Vocalizations made by baby mice that model autism can predict their social behaviors later in development, according to a computational analysis.
Nowadays, having fun needs to be taken seriously
By Jill U. Adams Special To The Washington Post One day early in the pandemic, after I dropped my daughter at her job, I went for a long drive on some country roads. I surfed the radio and gazed at the greens of spring out my window. It was a dose of freedom in a constrained and uncertain time. It was spontaneous and it was fun. The experts who study fun – and take it seriously – say we need more of it, especially now.
With pandemic problems easing, having real fun needs to be taken seriously
One day early in the pandemic, after I dropped my daughter at her job, I went for a long drive on some country roads. I surfed the radio and gazed at the greens of spring out my window. It was a dose of freedom in a constrained and uncertain time. It was spontaneous and it was fun. The experts who study fun — and take it seriously — say we need more of it, especially now. Now that I’m fully vaccinated and pandemic limits are fewer, I plan to seek out more fun.
Spotted around the web: Autism screener, ABA conflicts of interest, baby sibs
WEEK OF May 24th Research roundup Assessments that use a naturalistic setting to evaluate social-communication skills are more sensitive than standardized assessments for children with subclinical autism traits. Autism Research Children with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can comfortably wear a face mask throughout a school day. JAMA Network Open Infants with autistic siblings appear to have sensory hyporesponsiveness.
Spotted around the web: Polypharmacy, poison exons, infant social attention
WEEK OF May 17th Research roundup A new model shows how cognitive differences may predispose autistic people to anxiety. Trends in Cognitive Sciences Hyperexcitability in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome appears to be mediated in part by neurons in the lateral amygdala, which fire more and form stronger excitatory synapses than those in control mice.
Spotted around the web: Developing striatum, autism incidence in Japan, psychedelic therapies
WEEK OF May 10th Research roundup JASPER, a naturalistic social-communication intervention for autistic children, seems to increase child-initiated interactions, a key step in language development. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry A catalog of RNA from single cells in the fetal striatum, a brain area implicated in autism, may unveil transcription hierarchies involved in early development.
Spotted around the web: CDKL5 neurons, cerebrospinal fluid, gut microbiota
WEEK OF May 3rd Research roundup Neurons derived from people with CDKL5 deficiency disorder, a condition associated with epilepsy and intellectual delay, are unusually large and excitable. Molecular Psychiatry Using magnetic resonance imaging in large clinical trials of autistic children may not be feasible because many children have difficulty completing scans.
Spotted around the web: FOXP1 syndrome, personal space, autism gene therapies
WEEK OF April 26th Research roundup The prefrontal cortex may manage cognitive flexibility by monitoring feedback via specific neuronal pathways, according to a study in mice. Cell Clinical differences do not explain the racial disparities in age at autism diagnosis; Black and white children referred for evaluation have similar cognitive and behavioral profiles.
Spotted around the web: Brain coordination, SCN1A seizures, fetal tissue research
WEEK OF April 19th Research roundup Autistic people show less synchrony of neural activity during face-to-face conversation than non-autistic people. Autism Research Inhibitory interneurons seem to mediate heat-induced seizures in mice with mutations in the autism-linked SCN1A gene. eNeuro Rhesus macaques with low sociability have high rates of traumatic injury — which may reflect bullying.
Spotted around the web: Fuzzy diagnostic boundary, organoid oversight, women scientist setbacks
WEEK OF April 12th Research roundup A calibrated version of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule has good test-retest reliability, which substantiates its use in assessing autism traits over time. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Training Black parents of autistic children to advocate for themselves in clinical settings may help reduce racial disparities in healthcare services.
Spotted around the web: Sensory discrepancy, telling gestures, JAMA boycott
WEEK OF April 5th Research roundup Neurofeedback can help autistic people make lasting changes to how they respond to facial expressions, according to a small study. Autism Self-reports of sensory sensitivities, which are common in autism, do not align with scores on sensory detection tasks, suggesting that these measures capture qualitatively different aspects of sensory perception.
Spotted around the web: Fetal brain scans, autism research funding, phony papers
WEEK OF March 29th Research roundup Mice exposed to their mother’s immune response in the womb show some behavioral changes as adolescents, but those changes resolve in adulthood. Biological Psychiatry Increased blood levels of certain immune system mediators in pregnant women are associated with autism in their children, according to a population-based case-control study.
Spotted around the web: Screening snafu, decoding SCN2A variants, supporting Black neuroscientists
WEEK OF March 22nd Research roundup Autistic women often struggle to meet others’ expectations, as Spectrum has covered in depth, though they tend to feel less of a need to conform as they age. Autism A review of studies has found support for the association between maternal infection and autism. Autism Research Autistic and non-autistic adolescents who frequently camouflage also report elevated levels of depression and anxiety.
Spotted around the web: Depression risk, COVID-19 during pregnancy, lab supply shortages
WEEK OF March 15th Research roundup Children with autism appear to have different patterns of tactile sensitivities than children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Communications Biology To communicate effectively with autistic children, physicians may need to get creative — and even use cartoon drawings, as this case study describes.
Spotted around the web: Antidepressants, closing prevalence gaps, cannabis for autism
WEEK OF March 8th Research roundup Sensory processing skills improve over time in some autistic children and worsen in others; monitoring may help clinicians better understand individual variability. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Mice lacking the NRXN1a gene, which has been linked to autism, display changes in neuronal function that differ by circuit.
Spotted around the web: Diagnosing autism in a pandemic, clinical trial recruitment, Ph.D. pay gap
WEEK OF March 1st Research roundup Children who are later diagnosed with autism may show sharp declines in how often they gaze at adult faces between 6 and 36 months of age. Child Development Researchers designed a social-network platform for adolescents on the spectrum by engaging users and their parents. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Nearly 80 percent of autistic children in the United States have an additional mental health diagnosis, according to a survey of caregivers.
Spotted around the web: Masking traits, virtual diagnoses, new autism-linked genes
WEEK OF February 22nd Research roundup Autistic people’s motivations for masking their autism traits, as Spectrum has reported, are complicated and understudied; a social-theory framework may help. Autism in Adulthood In one clinic, 6 percent of children with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome also had autism and 16 percent had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Spotted around the web: Self-report accuracy, ‘The Black Spectrum,’ lab animal allergies
WEEK OF February 8th Research roundup Autistic children can accurately fill out self-report questionnaires, a topic Spectrum has covered in depth, although those who have attention difficulties may provide less valid answers. Autism Dendritic spines, a key feature of neuronal connections, appear to be altered in a number of mouse models of autism.
Spotted around the web: Gender equity in grants, animal behavior pitfalls, Zoom fatigue
WEEK OF February 1st Research roundup Young autistic children show some improvement in cognitive abilities and everyday life skills after two years of applied behavior analysis, according to a new meta-analysis. Autism Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions may boost social, cognitive and play skills, particularly in situations that closely mimic the training itself.
Jumpstart your writing routine: coffee, journals, sketches and postcards | Nieman Storyboard
Personal Essays February 4, 2021 A science freelancer works her way out of COVID malaise with morning writing rituals One of the daily sketches that came from Jill U. Adams' 2021 morning routine. Jill U. Adams I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions this year. However, I did launch a new morning routine. Every morning I get up, make coffee, get the woodstove going, sit in my reading chair, and: write three pages in my journal; draw a cartoon character; and write a postcard.
Spotted around the web: Coronavirus disruptions to healthcare, mice on LSD, controversy over cell interiors
WEEK OF January 25th Research roundup Nonfunctional variants of CHD8, a top autism gene, cause subtle anatomical changes in the developing mouse brain. BMC Research Notes Scientists who publish in open-access journals that carry publication fees tend to be well-funded men who hold senior positions at prestigious institutions.
Spotted around the web: Suicide rates, TCF4, rapid screening, face masks in an MRI
WEEK OF January 18th Research roundup Autistic people have died by suicide at three times the rate of non-autistic people in Denmark. JAMA Network Open Children with autism may become less active in their teenage years than non-autistic children. Autism Autistic children aged 3 to 5 often have feeding and swallowing difficulties arising from multiple issues, such as sensory problems and repetitive behaviors.
Spotted around the web: Autism in Kenya, oxytocin delivery, intellectual disability genes
WEEK OF January 4th Research roundup Autistic children born preterm or full-term have similar fine-motor, visual and language skills. Frontiers in Neurology Children with autism in Kenya are typically identified because of a speech delay when they are toddlers, but fewer than half get speech or occupational therapy. African Journal of Health Sciences Autistic adults who report a decline in health status over the course of a year also say they need additional health services.
Spotted around the web: Fragile X registry, glycine channel blocker, motor issues
WEEK OF December 14th Research roundup Duplications or deletions of the gene KDM4C appear to be linked to autism and schizophrenia. Translational Psychiatry Autistic children with social-communication problems and repetitive behaviors have an elevated likelihood of also having motor impairments. Autism Research Women who have preeclampsia during pregnancy have an increased chance of having an autistic child.
'The Laramie Project': What Wellesley High School theater looks like during a pandemic
The Wellesley High School Drama Society and Technical Team have selected “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later” as its winter production this year. This is the second play based on Matthew Shepard’s murder in Laramie, Wyoming. It was deemed to be a hate crime because Matthew Shepard was gay. The directors made the show a film rather than a Zoom play in an effort to give students a more enriched experience but remain in accordance with the current DESE guidelines for the pandemic.
Spotted around the web: Seeing circuits, a new "hitchhiker's guide" and 'gectosomes'
WEEK OF December 7th Research roundup The strongest predictor of the age at which a child is diagnosed with autism may not be gender or the timing of developmental milestones, but when her caregivers first voiced concerns. Autism Research The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised has worked well in Iran to diagnose autism in young children and to distinguish autism from intellectual disability. Autism Autism experts in 31 countries describe how they perceive gender differences in autistic people.
Spotted around the web: Dance revolution, Angelman trial, predicting proteins
WEEK OF November 30th Research roundup The idea that autistic people tend to avoid looking at other people’s eyes and look instead at their mouths has been dealt a fresh blow: They show no difference from non-autistic people, according to a new eye-tracking study. Molecular Autism Intimate relationships in which one partner has autism seem to develop much like those of non-autistic couples.
The WHS Choral Program is alive and well in a pandemic
The Wellesley High School Choral Program, under the leadership of Kevin McDonald, is renowned for its various vocal ensembles in which approximately 20% of the student body participates.
A neighborhood walk is an easy and inexpensive way to keep fit
I’ve taken to walking the streets of my neighborhood during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s a way to get out of the house when most of us are spending more time at home than ever before. It’s a simple and effective way to get exercise. Many doctors and public health organizations — such as the American Heart Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Diabetes Association — promote walking for exercise.
Six degrees of pharmacology
Jill Adams Founding father: how close are you to John J. Abel?Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS "What's your Abel number?" was the big question being asked by pharmacologists this week at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington, DC.
Live updates: More than two dozen states report coronavirus surges as Trump administration prepares for possible second wave
Please Note The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free. For more free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, where all stories are free to read. A White House adviser said Sunday that the Trump administration is preparing for a possible second wave in the coronavirus pandemic this fall, as 29 states and U.S. territories logged an increase in their seven-day average of new reported case numbers after many lifted restrictions in recent weeks.
Eye care comes into focus during coronavirus
What is it about the eyes that have prompted the repeated coronavirus warnings? Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned again and again. Wear a face mask, which may be effective because they remind you not to touch your face and eyes, among other things. Or use face shields, if you are a health-care worker.
Abortion Law: Roe Was Right, But McRae Was Wrong
Today marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court opinion that recognized the fundamental right to abortion, and with it comes the yearly celebrations and critiques. For decades, critics of Roe have claimed that the case was a travesty of justice and wrongly decided—that the opinion prompted such fierce backlash that abortion remains, arguably, the most hot-button topic in our society 42 years later.
Abortions without clinics: Amid COVID-19 crisis, let women self-manage abortion
(Getty Images/istockphoto) With many clinics closed during the pandemic, women who self-managing their abortions should not face legal risk Jill E. Adams April 13, 2020 10:00AM (UTC) The pandemic has brought into sharper focus the inequities and outright gaps in people's access to health care of all kinds, including abortion care.
Spotted around the web: Coronavirus, genetic mutations, obsessive-compulsive disorder
WEEK OF March 16th Research roundup Preventing cell death during brain development in fruit flies allows diverse neuronal circuits to form. Science Advances The most widely used autism screen is as reliable for black children as it is for white children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Children whose autism is a result of copy number variants in their DNA tend to have severe traits.
Acne isn’t just a problem in adolescence
Advice about treating acne and understanding who is at risk have changed dramatically over the years. Some areas of uncertainty remain, such as the effect of diet, while other formerly held beliefs have moved firmly into the myths category. Acne is primarily a problem of adolescence — 85 percent of American teenagers experience skin breakouts, with boys outnumbering girls.
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