Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2008

The Board found that the veteran's paranoid schizophrenia had improved since August 2002, and thus denied restoration of a 100 percent rating. However, it also determined that a 50 percent rating was not warranted for the period on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder as there was no in-service stressor supporting a diagnosis of PTSD that could be corroborated, and medical evidence failed to show a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, PTSD, and pes planus, as well as the claim for VA treatment for a psychosis.

The Board remands the issue of service connection for paranoid type schizophrenia due to an inability to locate the veteran's service medical records and a need for additional evidence.

The veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral osteoarthritis of the shoulders and a psychiatric disorder were denied due to a lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran is entitled to an earlier effective date of December 2, 1997, for the establishment of service connection for paranoid schizophrenia.

The Board found that the veteran's scoliosis of the thoracic spine preexisted service and was not aggravated by service. The claim for a psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, depression, and manic depression, was also denied as it was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor is it secondary to the service-connected scar of the left neck or his back disability.

The claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for paranoid schizophrenia was denied as there is no legal basis for granting service connection prior to November 26, 2002.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD as there was no credible evidence that a claimed in-service stressor occurred, which is an essential criterion for establishing service connection for PTSD.

The Board found that the veteran's sinus disability pre-existed service and was not aggravated by it. The claims for a psychiatric disorder, colitis, and stomach problems were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any service-connected condition.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for Ehlers-Danlos disease, right and left knee disabilities, residuals of a left femur fracture, residuals of a right inferior pubic ramus fracture, and psychiatric disability based on new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for idiopathic thrombocytopenia, hypertension, psychiatric disability/PTSD, alcoholism, left ankle disability, headaches, bilateral hand disability, and bilateral leg disability as they were not related to the veteran's active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an acquired psychiatric disorder, manifested by depression, and a left ankle disability. The claim to reopen for Hepatitis C was also denied.

The appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to verify the reported stressor and obtain additional medical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for loss of vision, diabetes mellitus, left leg venous insufficiency, psychiatric disorder (dysthymia and depression), hypertension, lumbosacral strain, heart disorder, and residuals of dental trauma as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum, residuals of a head injury (including headaches), psychiatric disability, fatigue, sleep impairment, hair loss, muscle and joint pain, and skin disability. The veteran was also denied the opportunity to reopen his claim for a deviated septum but allowed him to reopen his claim for residuals of a head injury.

The Board found that the veteran's psychological disorder was not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, schizophrenia (previously evaluated as a personality disorder), bilateral tinnitus, low back disability, left ankle disability, chronic kidney failure, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, Type II, finding no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation and no medical nexus to service.

The Board granted service connection for schizophrenia, finding that the evidence does not clearly and unmistakably establish that the condition existed prior to service or was aggravated by it.

The Board denied the veteran's attempt to reopen a claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, classified as schizophrenia, undifferentiated type, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented.