The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the appellant's testimony and medical records regarding the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The Veteran is presumed exposed to environmental toxins while deployed in Iraq in 2003, but a new examination opinion is needed to determine if this exposure caused or contributed to her Alzheimer's disease.
The deciding factor: The Board found inconsistencies between the appellant's testimony and medical records regarding when the Veteran first exhibited symptoms of cognitive impairment. The examiner must reconcile these discrepancies and provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's Alzheimer's disease developed during service, including due to environmental toxin exposure in Iraq.
- Claimed conditions
- Alzheimer's disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2023
- Citation
- 23061775
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 23061775.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder and exposures at Camp LeJeune contributed to his cause of death. The VA must obtain an addendum opinion addressing these issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for prostate cancer, Alzheimer's disease, pseudophakia, spine tumor, and a heart condition due to potential errors in obtaining all relevant medical records and considering the Veteran's exposure to toxic environmental risk activities (TERA) during his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as Alzheimer's disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability or a causal link to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death and failure to obtain SSA disability records.
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