What Neurotech Can Bring to Your Therapy Practice: Episodic Recall, PCL-5, Kessler-6, and RNA Gene Expression

Q: What does RNA gene expression add?

RNA gene expression adds a measure that does not depend on self-report. The optional iXpressGenes CoreSignals Panel, processed by a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory, reads 22 markers of RNA gene expression from whole blood and is designed to track inflammatory and immune signals associated with stress and recovery. It is not used to diagnose any condition. - In a 2026 Neurova Labs observational cohort of 103 members, measured as RNA gene expression in whole blood at Day 1, Day 5, and Day 30, the 26 members who entered with the highest inflammatory burden saw their Global Inflammation Score fall from 52.4 to 30.3 by Day 5 and to 27.0 by Day 30, a 48 percent reduction, with 23 of 26 improving. - TNF-alpha was lower in all 26 of those members by Day 30. Measured against 10 untreated controls and adjusted for starting level, the protocol group fared 12 points better on the same score. These are observational findings, and a controlled validation study is underway.

Q: Where did Neurova Academy's modalities come from?

The modalities in Neurova Academy came out of an inpatient treatment program that Brenden Borrowman, PhD, founded and ran in Utah while working with people in residential recovery. Program development was guided by fNIRS and fNCI conducted at a neurological treatment center, and every session ends with a Recover phase built around guided box breathing and a deliberate downshift.

Q: How does a therapy practice get started?

A therapy practice gets started with facilitator training and certification for its clinicians or practitioners, which come with access. Sessions are done standing in about a square meter of space, the program runs offline, and one system supports up to 250 completed cycles a year at full use. See clinic pricing and book a call with our team.

Nathaniel Free

Sep 19

4 min read

Updated: Oct 1

Reviewed by Marc Ó Gríofa, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Neurova Labs

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 19, 2026. Neurova Labs is bringing Neurova Academy to therapy practices and mental health clinics as a structured tool clients use between sessions, with measurement clinicians already know how to read.

A facilitator leads a Neurova Academy session in a clinic setting

How can neurotech support a therapy practice between sessions?

Neurova Academy gives a clinician a structure to assign into the time between sessions: five facilitator-led sessions of about thirty minutes, with no new documentation and no change to scope of practice. A client might spend fifty minutes a week with a therapist. The other ten thousand minutes are where most of life happens. The program is designed to add to care, alongside the work a therapist is already doing.

What changes in episodic recall and cognitive performance?

In observational pilot findings across veteran, first responder, and athlete cohorts, participants showed a 40 percent improvement in episodic memory recall. Neurova Academy's adaptive environments target 27 distinct brain regions spanning memory, attention, language, reasoning, and executive function. In those cohorts, participants showed:

A 40 percent improvement in episodic memory recall
A 24 percent average reduction in psychological distress on the Kessler-6 in the 2026 YMCA of Orange County pilot, and an 86.8 percent reduction among the 17 participants who improved most
A 25 percent gain in decision-making accuracy under pressure

More than 500 programs have been delivered to date.

What did the PCL-5 and Kessler-6 show?

In the 2026 cohort studies with the YMCA of Orange County, trauma symptom scores on the PCL-5 fell 28 percent and psychological distress on the Kessler-6 fell 24 percent among the 84 participants who completed the full 30-day assessment. One hundred people enrolled, and 62 percent entered with a high trauma burden. Using instruments most clinicians already administer, participants showed:

PCL-5: trauma symptom scores fell from 29.1 to 21.0, an average change of 8.1 points or 28 percent (p < 0.001). An 8.1-point change sits inside the 5 to 10 point range commonly used as the threshold for reliable change on the PCL-5.
Kessler-6: psychological distress fell from 14.0 to 10.6, a 24 percent change (p < 0.001).
Sleep: sleep quality improved 22 percent, tracked through daily diaries and wearable data.
Engagement: 96 percent said they would recommend the program.

Results varied across participants. Among the 23 who improved most on the PCL-5, trauma symptom scores fell 85.7 percent, from 45.2 to 6.5.

What does RNA gene expression add?

RNA gene expression adds a measure that does not depend on self-report. The optional iXpressGenes CoreSignals Panel, processed by a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory, reads 22 markers of RNA gene expression from whole blood and is designed to track inflammatory and immune signals associated with stress and recovery. It is not used to diagnose any condition. The full description of the panel, including its limits, is in What Neurova Labs Measures in a Blood Draw.

In a 2026 Neurova Labs observational cohort of 103 members, measured as RNA gene expression in whole blood at Day 1, Day 5, and Day 30, the 26 members who entered with the highest inflammatory burden saw their Global Inflammation Score fall from 52.4 to 30.3 by Day 5 and to 27.0 by Day 30, a 48 percent reduction, with 23 of 26 improving.
TNF-alpha was lower in all 26 of those members by Day 30. Measured against 10 untreated controls and adjusted for starting level, the protocol group fared 12 points better on the same score.

These are observational findings, and a controlled validation study is underway.

Where did Neurova Academy's modalities come from?

The modalities in Neurova Academy came out of an inpatient treatment program that Brenden Borrowman, PhD, founded and ran in Utah while working with people in residential recovery. Program development was guided by fNIRS and fNCI conducted at a neurological treatment center, and every session ends with a Recover phase built around guided box breathing and a deliberate downshift.

How does a therapy practice get started?

A therapy practice gets started with facilitator training and certification for its clinicians or practitioners, which come with access. Sessions are done standing in about a square meter of space, the program runs offline, and one system supports up to 250 completed cycles a year at full use. See clinic pricing and book a call with our team.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Veterans and service members can press 1.

About Neurova Labs

Neurova Labs is a veteran-led neurotechnology company based in Salt Lake City. Its program, Neurova Academy, is a facilitator-led neuro-immersive brain training program designed to support focus, stress regulation, and mental endurance, with no clinical infrastructure required. Programs can add an optional 22-marker panel measuring RNA gene expression from whole blood, processed by iXpressGenes, a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory. Neurova Labs works with military units, first responder agencies, clinics, and community organizations. Learn more at neurovalabs.com.

Media contact: Nathaniel Free, Chief Communications Officer, Neurova Labs. nathaniel.free@neurovalabs.com.

Neurova Academy and Brain+ are general wellness programs. They are not medical devices and are not offered to diagnose, treat, cure, or mitigate any disease or condition, including PTSD, concussion, traumatic brain injury, or CTE. Outcomes described reflect preliminary, observational findings and individual experience, and are not a prediction of results for anyone else. Individual results vary. Laboratory testing is provided by iXpressGenes, a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory.