Bipolar disorder decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a seizure disorder and an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, mood disorder, and depression, were denied. The claim for increased rating for the thoracic spine disability was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of his acquired psychiatric disorder, including Bipolar Disorder, dysthymia, Major Depression and adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood, is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether these conditions were aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus or hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, did not originate in service or for many years thereafter and is not related to any incident during active service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder had its onset during service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claimed conditions of headaches, bipolar disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The Board found the Veteran's reported continuity of symptoms since service to be not credible.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as bipolar disorder, was first manifested on May 22, 1989, during a travel period of his active duty for training. The Board found that the evidence did not establish service connection due to lack of credible evidence linking the condition to any period of active service or active duty for training.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD and his bipolar disorder did not start during service or is otherwise related to it. Therefore, he cannot be granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case to comply with a Joint Motion for Remand, which requires additional development including obtaining service treatment records and transcripts of court-martial proceedings. The appellant is also required to provide information about his psychiatric treatment after discharge from service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant treatment records and addressing the Veteran's assertions about his in-service exposure to salt water.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability was dismissed due to his death.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and depression, are not related to his service. The evidence does not show a current diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with VA regulations, nor is there sufficient evidence linking any diagnosed conditions to military service.

The Board denied an extraschedular rating for the Veteran's PTSD with bipolar disorder, finding that the disability picture is adequately contemplated by the current schedular criteria.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a psychiatric disorder due to new and material evidence submitted since the April 2005 rating decision. The medical evidence now shows that bipolar disorder is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied in November 1999 and December 2000, but he withdrew his appeal regarding this issue on June 25, 2002.,In May 2003, the Board granted a 70% rating for PTSD and bipolar disorder effective April 6, 1999. The Veteran appealed the effective date of this decision.,The RO assigned a 100% disability rating for PTSD and bipolar disorder effective May 22, 2003. The Veteran appealed the effective date of this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically bipolar disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not begin during or as a result of his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to missing SSA records, specifically those of Dr. A.G., an impartial medical expert.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected meningitis disability. The TDIU claim will also be considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently claimed psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as bipolar disorder, clearly and unmistakably preexisted service and was aggravated by service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.