The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's memory loss is related to an undiagnosed illness associated with service in Southwest Asia.
The deciding factor: The current opinion from the July 2012 VA Gulf War examination was not based on a complete review of the claims folder, including the Veteran's history of complaints and diagnoses dating back to at least 1996. The examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for their conclusion that the memory loss is not related to an undiagnosed illness or part of Gulf War Syndrome.
- Claimed conditions
- Memory loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2016
- Citation
- 1622459
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1622459.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claims for service connection for PTSD (claimed as schizophrenia), headaches, and schizophrenia. The claim for memory loss and residuals of head injury remains denied due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's need for supervision, protection, or instruction on a continuous basis due to memory loss and the need for back surgery has been recognized. The Board has granted a Level 2 stipend under VA's PCAFC program.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current memory loss is likely caused by head trauma sustained during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal regarding service connection for memory loss and seizures has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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