The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cognitive disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a head injury or TBI in service and that his current cognitive issues are not related to any in-service event.
The deciding factor: There was no documented head injury during service, and the VA examinations found no objective evidence of a TBI. The Veteran's symptoms are more consistent with other conditions such as PTSD, depression, and myocardial infarctions.
- Claimed conditions
- Cognitive Disorder NOS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21002177
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21002177.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the in-service stressor for PTSD and the need for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a new examination is needed to evaluate the Veteran's PTSD and other psychiatric disorders, as the current evidence does not fully comply with the DSM-V criteria. The Veteran will be scheduled for an appropriate VA examination to determine if he meets the DSM-V criteria for these conditions and whether they are related to his active duty service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. Additional examinations and medical opinions are needed.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and increased evaluation for anxiety disorder and cognitive disorder. Additional VA examinations are needed, and the AOJ should secure any outstanding records.
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