Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2004

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, resulting in a denial.

The Board found no evidence of a current psychiatric disorder related to military service and denied the claim for service connection. For bilateral hearing loss, while there was noise exposure during service, the Board determined that the current disability is not linked to in-service acoustic trauma.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, chloracne, prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety), sinusitis, cervical spine myositis, and lumbar spine myositis were denied as there is no evidence of current disability or in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied service connection for otitis as there is no current evidence of the condition. Service connection for residuals of a December 1988 motor vehicle accident including paralysis, brain injury, hip injury, and a psychiatric disorder was also denied due to lack of competent evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board found that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was not incurred as a result of any incident of active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a fracture of the left elbow from 40 percent and his claims to reopen service connection for psychiatric disability and proteinuria residuals must be remanded due to incomplete development.

The VA determined that the veteran's schizophrenia, paranoid type does not warrant a rating higher than 50 percent.

The veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of pneumonia, bronchitis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, generalized degenerative joint disease, and cervical spine disability were denied. The veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disability was also denied as secondary to back disability.,The veteran withdrew his appeal on the issues of entitlement to service connection for residuals of pneumonia and bronchitis prior to a decision being made.

The Board denied the appellant's applications to reopen previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for schizophrenia, headaches, and PTSD. The evidence submitted was deemed insufficient to establish a medical nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to unclear service information and a need for further examination. The veteran's psychiatric disorder is being reviewed again.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition, gastrointestinal disability (including peptic ulcer disease and irritable colon syndrome), and an acquired psychiatric disorder. However, the decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were denied.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination to assess the veteran's mental state and whether he was capable of filing a timely appeal. The issue of reopening the service connection claim will be adjudicated again after the examination.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder and a low back disability, concluding that the veteran did not have a qualifying condition for VA benefits.

The Board found that the veteran's dental and psychiatric disorders are not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected seizure disorder. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for a seizure disorder prior to November 1, 1996, was denied as there is no evidence of at least one major seizure in a six-month period. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for a seizure disorder from November 1, 1996, was also denied due to the lack of sufficient additional disability. The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, facial rash, and right knee disability due to exposure in the Southwest Asia theatre during the Persian Gulf War. The appeals were decided as direct service connection cases.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for back disability, residuals of head injury, and psychiatric disability. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, diagnosed as dysthymic disorder and major depressive disorder, are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pre-existing PTSD was not aggravated by service, and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD did not develop during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's schizophrenia, a type of paranoid disorder, currently manifests as mild symptoms such as anxiety and memory loss. The current rating of 30 percent is appropriate given his overall functioning.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling examinations to assess his service-connected back disability and any psychiatric disorder.