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October 15, 2014 - DANA (Defense Automated Neurobehavioral Assessment) Launch

Since launch of our Phase I study, DANA (Defense Automated Neurobehavioral Assessment) was approved by the FDA in October 2014 (one of the first in the cognitive assessment space). The Defense Department is now reviewing a proposal to replicate our study in military caregivers.

Brain Thermometer (Defense Automated Neurobehavioral Assessment – DANA) for Mild Dementia: Pilot Study – Burke Rehabilitation Hospital

Principal Investigator: Dr. Corinna E. Lathan, Clinical Collaborating Institution (CCI), Burke Rehabilitation Hospital; CCI-PI: Dr. Pasquale Fonzetti; Advisor: Dr. Murali Duraiswamy, Duke University

A Pilot Study to Determine the DANA Assessment Tool’s Sensitivity and Mild Cognitive Impairment.” The purpose of this study was to gather initial data on whether DANA might also be useful to detect cognitive deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease compared to cognitively normal controls.  The revised and expanded protocol focused on a cohort of patients with mild, probable Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

The protocol had two objectives: the first hypothesis was that DANA would have a higher sensitivity to MCI than the current gold standard, which is the MMSE.  Higher sensitivity could lead to early detection of MCI and earlier intervention.

The second hypothesis was that caregivers would be able to both self-administer DANA, as well as administer DANA to their loved one, and that the test would be stable over the 30-day period.  This study not only confirmed the sensitivity of DANA to MCI, but also set the stage for a caregiver-focused application on detecting cognitive impairment due to depression.