The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an updated medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's psychiatric disorder is aggravated by his service-connected cognitive disorder. The current opinion does not account for the ameliorative effects of medication and fails to consider the severity of the condition without those effects.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the potential impact of the ameliorative effects of the Veteran's psychiatric medication on the diagnosis and aggravation determination.
- Claimed conditions
- psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2022
- Citation
- 22005889
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 22005889.
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 claims for increased evaluations and SMC based on housebound status and aid and attendance, with the initial decisions being in February and June 2023. The appellant is eligible to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in September 2024.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of psychiatric disorder. Service connection was granted for heart condition, throat condition, and hypertension due to herbicide exposure in Japan. Diabetes condition is denied as there is no evidence of treatment or diagnosis.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities were considered permanent and total in nature as of August 6, 2020, which is the earliest date on which she can establish basic eligibility for DEA under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, while his bilateral hearing loss and hypertensive vascular disease/hypertension are denied. The psychiatric disorder claim is remanded for further review.
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