Nurse researcher talks dementia care breakthroughs on With Good Reason

November 21, 2024

Author: Caitlin Hanbury

Lana Sargent, Ph.D., RN, discusses breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s treatment and how science is shifting from managing symptoms to transforming cognitive health after diagnosis.

lana sargent
Lana Sargent, Ph.D., RN, is a researcher, associate dean of Practice and Community Engagement, and an associate professor at the VCU School of Nursing.

Nursing researcher Lana Sargent, Ph.D., RN, FNP-C, GNP-BC, was recently featured on an episode of With Good Reason, a podcast produced by Virginia Humanities that airs on public radio stations in 38 states. Sargent joined host Sarah McConnell to discuss advancements in dementia care, the recent FDA approval of a new Alzheimer’s drug, and how researchers are not only managing symptoms but also exploring ways to change the trajectory of cognitive health after a diagnosis.

“We used to have nothing we could offer people. And, it was a big reason people didn’t want to come in and talk about it or do a screening. Then we moved to a phase in which we had medications that could delay nursing home placement or help with some of the symptoms,” Sargent said. “Now we are at a phase where we are starting to have discovery and treatment—and that’s a big step.”

Sargent is co-leading groundbreaking research on identifying early signs of dementia through life space activity, the  measure of a person's ability to move and engage in activity beyond the home. With funding from a $3.1 million National Institutes of Health grant, Sargent is exploring how wearable devices can track physical activity as potential digital biomarkers for cognitive decline. This innovative study focuses on how mobility patterns and social factors like isolation impact brain health, with the goal of developing interventions that could halt decline or even improve cognitive health

Listen to the segment Tracking Dementia, courtesy of With Good Reason.