Psychology

Faculty - Merrill F. Elias

• Description of the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study
• Full List of Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study Publications

Merrill F. (Pete) Elias
Phone: 207-581-2051
merrill.elias@umit.maine.edu

My research focuses on cardiovascular risk factors in relation to cognitive functioning in non-demented individuals. Risk factors I have studied include hypertension, risk for future stroke, plasma homocysteine, ApoE-e4 genotype, diabetes mellitus, left ventricular mass, obesity, central adiposity, atrial fibrillation, angina, and depressed mood. My current interest is in relating pulse wave velocity (a measure of arterial stiffness) to cognition and relations between mild renal dysfunction and cognition. My studies, and those of my students, are done in a life-span developmental context and involve cross-sectional differences and longitudinal designs. Much of the data for my work, and the work of my students, comes from our own Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (begun in 1975), the Framingham Heart Study and Framingham Offspring Study. My teaching interests are experimental design, biostatistics and epidemiological approaches to the study of cognitive functioning.

I live on the coast of Maine and enjoy kayaking, stone wall building, woods work, and grand-parenting Jessica, a sable and white collie.

Examples of Recent Publications:

• Elias, M. F., Dore, G. A., & Chrichton, G. E. (in press). Dairy consumption and hypertension: Arterial stiffness and pulse pressure [letter to the editor].  Hypertension.
• Elias, M. F., Dore, G. A., & Davey, A. (in press).  Kidney disease and cognitive function.  Contributions to Nephrology, 179.  DOI: 10.1159/000346722.
• Elias, M. F., Goodell, A. L., & Robbins, M. A. (in press). Blood pressure and cognitive functioning: Longitudinal studies, treatment, and new directions. In S. R. Waldstein & M. F. Elias (Eds.), Neuropsychology of Cardiovascular Disease (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Taylor and Francis.
• Crichton, G. E., Robbins, M. A., & Elias, M. F. (in press). Homocysteine, folic acid, B vitamins and cognitive functioning: A review of the literature. In: S. R. Waldstein & M. F. Elias (Eds.). Neuropsychology of Cardiovascular Disease (2nd ed). New York, NY: Taylor and Francis.
• Siegler, I. C., Bosworth, H. B., Davey, A., & Elias, M. F. (in press). Disease, health and aging in the first decade of the 21st century.  In R. M. Lerner, M. A. Easterbrooks, & J. Mistri (Eds.), Comprehensive Handbook of Psychology, vol. 6. Developmental Psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Wiley and Son.
• Siegler, I. C., Elias, M. F., Brummett, B. H., & Bosworth H. B. (in press). Adult development and aging.  In A. M. Nezu, C. M. Nezu, & P. A. Geller (Eds.), Comprehensive Handbook of Psychology, vol. 9, Health Psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Wiley and Son.
• Davey A, Elias MF, Robbins MA, Seliger SL, Dore GA. (2012). Decline in renal functioning is associated with longitudinal decline in global cognitive functioning, abstract reasoning and verbal memory. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfs470.
• Siegler, I. C., Elias, M. F., & Bosworth, H. B. (2012). Aging and health. In A. Baum, T. Revenson, & J. E. Singer (Eds.), Handbook of Health Psychology, 2nd Edition (pp. 617-633). New York, NY: Psychology Press.
• Elias, J. W. & Elias, P. K. (2012). Low funding has potential to start United States National Institutes of Health peer review down a path of unintended consequences. Experimental Aging Research, 38(4), 460-467. [first page preview]
• Elias, M. F., Goodell, A. L., & Waldstein, S. R. (2012). Obesity, cognitive function, and dementia: Back to the future. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 30 (Suppl 2), S113-S125. [abstract]
• Crichton, G. E., Elias, M. F., Buckley, J. D., Murphy, K. J., Bryan, J., & Frisardi, V. (2012). Metabolic syndrome, cognitive performance, and dementia. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 30 (Suppl 2), S77-S87. [abstract]
• Elias, M. F. & Davey, A. (2012). Mildlife blood pressure, amyloid-β, and risk for Alzheimer disease: One more reason to treat hypertension. Hypertension, 59, 771-772. [extract]
• Elias, M. F., Goodell, A. L., & Dore, G. A. (2012).  Hypertension and cognitive functioning: A perspective in historical context. Hypertension, 60, 260-268. [extract]
• Crichton, G. E., Elias, M. F., Dore, G. A., Abhayaratna, W. P., & Robbins, M. A. (2012). Relations between dairy food intake and arterial stiffness: pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure. Hypertension, 59, 1044-1051. [abstract]
• Crichton, G. E., Elias, M. F., Dore, G. A., & Robbins, M. A. (2012). Relation between dairy food intake and cognitive function: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study.  International Dairy Journal, 22, 15-23.
• Davey, A., Lele, U., Elias, M. F., Dore, G. A., Siegler, I. C., Johnson, M. A., Hausman, D. B., Tenover, J. L., & Poon, L. W., for the Georgia Centenarian Study. (2012). Diabetes mellitus in centenarians. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 60, 468-473.  [abstract]
• Elias, M. F., Davey, A., & Goodell, A. L. (2011). Editorial: Balanced decisions and unbiased reporting in bioscience and medicine. The Journal of Bioscience and Medicine, 1(1), Online open publication. DOI: 10.5780/jbm2011.1 [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Dore, G. A, Davey, A., Abhayaratna, W. P., Goodell, A. L., & Robbins, M. A. (2011). Norms and reference values for pulse wave velocity: One size does not fit all. The Journal of Biosciences and Medicine, 1(1), Online open publication. DOI:10.5780/jbm2011.4 [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Dore, G. A., Goodell, A. L., Davey, A., Zilioli, M. K. C., Brennan, S., & Robbins, M. A. (2011). Normative data for elderly adults: The Maine-Syracuse Study. Experimental Aging Research, 37, 142-178. [abstract]
• Davey, A., Elias, M. F., Siegler, I. C., Uday, L., Partin, P., Johnson, M. A., Hausman, D. B, & Poon, L. W. (2010). Cognitive function, physical performance, health and disease, norms from the Georgia Centenarian Study. Experimental Aging Research, 36, 394-425. [abstract]
• Elias, M. F., Dore, G. A., Davey, A., Robbins, M. A., & Elias, P. K. (2010).  From blood pressure to physical disability: The role of cognition.  Hypertension, 55, 1360-1365.  [abstract]
• Elias, M. F., & Goodell, A. L. (2010). Editorial: Diet and exercise-blood pressure and cognition: to serve and protect. Hypertension, 55, 1296-1298. [pdf]
• Siegler, I. C., Hooker K., Bosworth H. B., Elias M. F. & Spiro A. (2010). Adult development, aging and gerontology: Health psychology for an aging population. In J. Suls, K. Davidson & R. Kaplan (Eds). Handbook of Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine (pp. 364-400). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
• Elias, M. F, & Davey, A. (2009). Predicting conversion to mild cognitive impairment: Some error is the price of much truth. Neurology, 73, 1432-1433. [excerpt]
• Dore, G. A., Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., Elias, P. K., Nagy, Z. (2009).  Presence of the APOE ε4 allele modifies the relationship between type 2 diabetes and cognitive performance: The Maine–Syracuse Study. Diabetologia, 52, 2551-2560.  [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Elias, P. K., Seliger, S. L., Narsipur, S. S., Dore, G. A. & Robbins, M. A. (2009). Chronic kidney disease, creatinine and cognitive functioning. Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, 24, 2446-2452.  [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., Budge, M. M., Abhayaratna, W. P., Dore, G. A., & Elias, P. K. (2009). Arterial pulse wave velocity and cognition with advancing age. Hypertension, 53, 668-673.  [pdf]
• Dore, G. A., Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., Budge, M. M., & Elias, P. K. (2008).  Relation between central adiposity and cognitive function in the Maine-Syracuse Study: Attenuation by physical activity.  Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 35, 341-350.  [abstract]
• Elias, M.F., Robbins, M.A., Budge, M.M., Elias, P.K., Dore, G.A., Brennan, S.L., Johnston C., & Nagy, Z. (2008). Homocysteine and cognitive performance: Modification by the ApoE genotype. Neuroscience Letters, 430, 64-69.  [abstract]
• Elias, M. F. & Dore, G. A. (2008). Brain indices predict blood pressure control: Aging brains and new predictions. Hypertension, 52, 1014-1015. [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Elias, P. K., Dore, G. A., & Robbins, M. A. (2008). High-normal blood pressure and cognition: Supplying the missing data. Hypertension, 52(1), e1-e2. [pdf]
• Dore, G. A., Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., Budge, M. M., & Elias, P. K. (2008).  Relation between central adiposity and cognitive function in the Maine-Syracuse Study: Attenuation by physical activity.  Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 35(3), 341-350.
• Robbins, M.A., Elias, P.K., & Elias, M.F. (2008). Blood pressure and disability: First steps in future studies [Letter to the Editor]. Hypertension, 51, e25.
• Elias, M. F. & Elias, P. K. (2007). Editorial Comment: Blood pressure and disability: Novus orsa. Hypertension, 50, 1006-1008.  [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Sullivan, L. M., Elias, P. K., D’Agostino, R. B., Sr., Wolf, P. A. Seshadri, S., Au, R., Benjamin, E. J., & Vasan, R. S. (2007).  Left ventricular mass, blood pressure and lowered cognitive performance in the Framingham Offspring.  Hypertension, 49, 439-445.  [pdf]
• Dore, G. A., Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., Elias, P. K., & Brennan, S. L. (2007). Cognitive performance and age: Norms from the Maine-Syracuse Study. Experimental Aging Research, 33, 205-271.
• Wolf, P. A., Beiser, A., Elias, M. F., Au, R., Vasan, R. S., & Seshadri, S. (2007). Relation of obesity to cognitive function:  Importance of central obesity and synergistic influence of concomitant hypertension. The FraminghamHeart Study. Current Alzheimer Research, 4, 111-116.
• Elias, M. F., Sullivan, L. M., Elias, P. K., D’Agostino, R. B., Sr., Wolf, P. A. Seshadri, S., Au, R., Benjamin, E. J., & Vasan, R. S. (2007).  Left ventricular mass, blood pressure and lowered cognitive performance in the Framingham Offspring.  Hypertension, 49, 439-445. [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Sullivan, L. M., Elias, P. K., Vasan, R. S., D’Agostino, R. B., Seshadri, S., Au, R., Wolf, P. A., & Benjamin, E. J. (2006). Atrial fibrillation is associated with lower cognitive performance in the Framingham Offspring men.  Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 15, 214-222.  [abstract]
• Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., Budge, M. M., Elias, P. K., Brennan, S. L., Johnston, C., Nagy, Z., & Bates, C. J., (2006).  Homocysteine, folate, vitamins B6 and B12 blood levels in relation to cognitive performance: The Maine-Syracuse Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 68, 547-554.  [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Elias, P. K., Sullivan, L. M., Wolf, P. A., & D’Agostino, R. B. (2005). Obesity, diabetes and cognitive deficit: The Framingham Heart Study. Neurobiology of Aging, 26S: S11-S16.  [abstract]
• Robbins, M.A., Elias, M.F., Elias, P.K., & Budge, M.M. (2005). Blood pressure and cognitive function in an African-American and a Caucasian-American sample: The Maine-Syracuse Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67, 707-714.  [pdf]
• Robbins, M. A., Elias, M. F., Budge, M. M., Brennan, S. L., & Elias, P. K. (2005). Homocysteine, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cognitive performance: The Maine-Syracuse Study. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 43, 1101-1106.  [abstract]
• Elias, M. F., Sullivan, L. M., D’Agostino, R. B., Elias, P. K., Jacques, P. F., Selhub, J., Seshadri, S., Au, R., Beiser, A., & Wolf, P. A. (2005). Homocysteine and cognitive performance in the Framingham Offspring Study: Age is important. American Journal of Epidemiology, 162, 1-10.  [pdf]
• Elias, P. K., Elias, M. F., D’Agostino, R. B., Sullivan, L. M., & Wolf, P. A. (2005). Serum cholesterol and cognitive performance in the Framingham Heart Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67, 24-30.  [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Sullivan, L. M., Robbins, M. A., & D’Agostino, R. B. (2004). The Framinghamheart study: Relating cardiovascular disease to behavior. In Christensen, A.J., Martin, R., Smyth, J.M. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Health Psychology, pp. 112-113.New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
• Seshadri S., Wolf P. A., Beiser A., Elias M. F., White R. F., Au R., Kase C. S., D’Agostino R. B., & DeCarli C. (2004). Stroke risk profile, brain volume and cognitive function: The Framingham Offspring Study.  Neurology, 63, 1591-1599.  [abstract]
• Elias, P. K., Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., & Budge, M. M. (2004). Blood pressure-related cognitive decline: Does age make a difference? Hypertension, 44, 631-636.  [pdf]
• Au, R., Elias, M. F., Sullivan, L., Elias, P. K., Sehsadri, S., Beiser, A., D’Agostino, R. B., & Wolf, P.A. (2004). New norms for a new generation: Cognitive performance in the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Experimental Aging Research, 30,333-358.  [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Sullivan, L. M., D’Agostino, R. B., Elias, P. K., Beiser, A., Au, R., Seshadri. S., DeCarli, C., & Wolf, P. A. (2004).  The Framingham stroke risk profile and lowered cognitive performance. Stroke, 35, 404-409.  [pdf]
• Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., Budge, M. M., Elias, P. K., Hermann, B. A., & Dore, G. A. (2004). Studies of aging, hypertension and cognitive functioning: With contributions from the Maine-Syracuse Study.  In M. P. Mattson (Series Ed.), & P. T. Costa & I. C. Siegler (Vol. Eds.), Advances in cell aging and gerontology, V.14 Recent advances in psychology and aging (pp. 89-131).  Amsterdam: Elsevier.  [abstract]
• Elias, M. F., Elias, P. K., Sullivan, L. M., Wolf, P. A., & D’Agostino, R. B.  (2003).  Lower cognitive function in the presence of obesity and hypertension: The Framingham Heart Study.  International Journal of Obesity, 27, 260-268.  [abstract]
• Elias, M. F., Beiser, A., Wolf, P. A., Au, R., White, R. F., & D’Agostino, R. B. (2000).  The preclinical phase of Alzheimer’s disease:  A 22-year prospective study of the Framingham cohort.  Archives of Neurology, 57, 808-813.  [pdf]

Image Description: Dr. Elias Picture

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