“Independent pilot study that utilized DANA to detect and measure impairments in cognitive function in persons with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) which, like MS, is an autoimmune disorder that damages the nervous system. Objectives: This was the first study to evaluate and compare cognition, mood and life purpose in NMOSD and control subjects. Methods: 20 control subjects and 23 individuals with NMOSD completed a DANA battery of tests, including the Code Substitution (CS) test. Results: The results of this study showed that DANA’s CS test is sensitive to detect cognitive impairment in NMOSD. DANA vs MMSE: The authors cited a prior study that used a computerized mini-mental state examination (MMSE) to measure cognitive function in both NMOSD and MS patients. Unlike the results of the DANA test in this study, the computerized MMSE in the prior study did not detect any differences in cognitive performance between the NMOSD patients and the control group. However, as the authors for this study noted, the MMSE has a maximum score, creating a ceiling effect that can be easily reached. In contrast, DANA measures reaction time down to the millisecond, allowing for extremely sensitive results that span a wider range than the MMSE.”