Neurobehavioral tool readily assesses cognitive impairment
Silver Spring, Md. – AnthroTronix (www.atinc.com), an innovative technology company dedicated to developing advanced biomedical technology that improves lives, was recently awarded a United States Army (U.S. Army) Rapid Innovation Fund Research contract to transition its mobile brain-health assessment tool, the Defense Automated Neurobehavioral Assessment (DANA), to military operations. The contract is valued at $2.99 million.
DANA is a clinical decision support tool that allows medical providers to conduct a series of cognitive and psychological tests on individuals potentially impacted from brain injuries or mental stress. Programmed on the Android operating system, DANA is applied to mobile, handheld computers (e.g., Nomads), tablets (e.g., Galaxy Tab) and phones (e.g., Fortis X) to test the reaction time, memory, and spatial processing of an individual. The technology also allows medical professionals to assess the progress of treatment and recovery for injured individuals.
Once fully validated operationally, DANA will assist first and second-line health care professionals in the field to determine a service member’s type of neurocognitive impairment and level of functioning when they may be experiencing difficulty due to brain injury, combat-related physical exhaustion or emotional distress. Separate from this Rapid Innovation Fund effort, a current in-theater research study of DANA in Afghanistan will provide future direction for the use of the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE).
“We are honored to receive this research contract from the U.S. Army Rapid Innovation Fund to apply meaningful use of the technology in military operations,” said Dr. Corinna Lathan, cofounder and CEO of AnthroTronix. “AnthroTronix is dedicated to developing advanced technologies like DANA to help improve lives by making the brain-health assessment more accessible and immediate.”
DANA has two testing components, cognitive and psychological. The combination of these, allows providers insight into the prevalence of symptoms related to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The technology will assist providers with assessing the ability to perform their jobs and immediately triage the needs of those experiencing mTBI or PTSDD.
Originally developed by AnthroTronix for the U.S. Department of Defense for use in the field of combat in 2010, DANA has proven its reliability in numerous settings. The handheld technology has been tested in cold, heat, humidity, altitude, and shipboard environments.
AnthroTronix is committed to designing cutting-edge technologies that easily translate to multiple settings, including in-field combat, rural health centers, major hospitals, early childhood education and professional sports.
AnthroTronix proudly serves the U.S. Army through this Rapid Innovation Fund Award, which is a competitive, merit-based program designed to accelerate the fielding of innovative technologies into military systems. In addition, AntroTronix supports organizations such as The Office of Naval Research, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Air Force, and commercial clients beyond the defense sector.
About AnthroTronix
AnthroTronix, based in Silver Spring, Md., is an award-winning innovative technology company supported by a team of creative visionaries, change –makers, designers, engineers, and scientists who are dedicated to developing advanced biomedical technology that improves lives in the areas of health, defense, and education. AnthroTronix specializes in the research and development of human-computer interface technology, product development for portable computing platforms and robotic systems and design, development, and testing of simulation tools for medical training applications. The company supplies its advanced product development and Research and Development services to commercial and governmental customers. AnthroTronix was founded in July 1999 by widely regarded technology experts, Dr. Corinna Lathan and Jack Maxwell Vice. AnthroTronix has been recognized among Inc. Magazine’s “5000 Fastest Growing Companies” and was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer company. For more information about AnthroTronix, visit www.atinc.com or call (301) 495- 0770.
The work outlined in this news release is supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command under Contract No. W81XWH-12-C-0204. The information and statements included here are solely those of AnthroTronix and not of the U.S. Army.