# DANA; A Tool to Detect Cognitive Changes in Pre-clinical and MCI Patients

> **NIH NIH R44** · ANTHROTRONIX, INC. · 2020 · $1,777,475

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The goal of this proposed two phase project is to develop the Digital Automated
Neurobehavioral Assessment (DANA) app into a tool that can be easily used by patients
with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and can provide
clinicians with meaningful data in the tracking and diagnosis of these conditions. DANA
is an FDA-cleared neurocognitive assessment tool that has been previously used with
similar populations and has been shown to be a valid and reliable method for screening
cognitive functioning and tracking changes in cognitive functioning over time.
The specific aims of the proposal are: in Phase I (1) Determine technical feasibility and
diagnostic accuracy of high-frequency cognitive testing with DANA; in Phase II (2)
Technical development of DANA for in-home use; and (3) Establish predictive validity of
DANA for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.
In Phase I, this project will implement a pilot study. MCI patients and normal controls will
take DANA both in-clinic and at home in order to examine the feasibility of this
population using DANA in the home and DANA’s ability to discriminate between healthy
and impaired users.
In Phase II, this project will build on the results of Phase I to technically refine the DANA
tool to better fit the needs of MCI patients. The refined app will be deployed in an
experiment, involving MCI patients and normal controls, that will establish the predictive
validity of DANA for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10081318
- **Project number:** 4R44AG063635-02
- **Recipient organization:** ANTHROTRONIX, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** CORINNA E LATHAN
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,777,475
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10081318

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10081318, DANA; A Tool to Detect Cognitive Changes in Pre-clinical and MCI Patients (4R44AG063635-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10081318. Licensed CC0.

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