HQ BaselineMilitary & defense
DANA (Defense Automated Neurobehavioral Assessment): The Military's Mobile Baseline Brain Test
A cognitive assessment tool built for every environment a service member operates in.
The Defense Automated Neurobehavioral Assessment (DANA) was developed by the Department of Defense’s Psychological Health Center of Excellence to meet a specific operational need: a cognitive assessment tool that runs on standard mobile devices and can be deployed to any environment where service members operate — from stateside training facilities to forward operating bases.
The five cognitive domains
DANA assesses five cognitive domains through brief subtests: simple reaction time (responding as fast as possible to a visual stimulus), procedural reaction time (choosing between response options based on a rule), code substitution (matching symbols to numbers under time pressure — similar to the WAIS Digit Symbol test), spatial processing (mental rotation of shapes), and Go/No-Go (responding to target stimuli while inhibiting responses to non-targets, measuring impulse control).
Why DANA exists
According to DOD documentation and research published in Military Medicine, DANA was designed to complement and eventually succeed the older ANAM (Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics) platform. DANA’s advantages include native mobile deployment (runs on standard iOS and Android devices, not requiring dedicated computer terminals), shorter administration time (approximately 15–20 minutes), modern user interface design, and field-ruggedized operation suitable for austere conditions.
Under the 2024 DOD mandate
Under the DOD’s 2024 baseline mandate — as reported by Military.com and ABC News — DANA is being deployed alongside ANAM as part of the expanded cognitive baseline requirement for all service members. For service members in the approximately 100 occupational specialties classified as high-risk for blast overpressure exposure, DANA provides a field-deployable tool for periodic re-assessment between formal baseline renewals.
Civilian continuity
At Headquarters, our civilian baseline protocols are compatible with military assessment frameworks. We support veterans transitioning to civilian life by establishing new baselines that ensure continuity of brain health monitoring through the VA or private healthcare systems. See our piece on military-to-VA baseline data continuity.