Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders§ 4.124aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 8008Brain, vessels, thrombosis of

Rated from 10% to 100% under § 4.124a. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

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  1. 100%

    Rate the vascular conditions under Codes 8007 through 8009, for 6 months

  2. 10%

    Rate residuals, thereafter, minimum

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Note: It is required for the minimum ratings for residuals under diagnostic codes 8000-8025, that there be ascertainable residuals. Determinations as to the presence of residuals not capable of objective verification, i.e., headaches, dizziness, fatigability, must be approached on the basis of the diagnosis recorded; subjective residuals will be accepted when consistent with the disease and not more likely attributable to other disease or no disease. It is of exceptional importance that when ratings in excess of the prescribed minimum ratings are assigned, the diagnostic codes utilized as bases of evaluation be cited, in addition to the codes identifying the diagnoses.

Brain Vessel Thrombosis (VA Diagnostic Code 8008)

Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders — 38 CFR § 4.124a

What This Condition Is

Diagnostic Code 8008 covers thrombosis of the brain vessels — a blood clot affecting the vessels of the brain. Under the VA rating schedule, this condition is grouped with other brain vascular conditions (Diagnostic Codes 8007 through 8009).

The way the VA evaluates this condition changes over time: there is an initial period rated at a set level, followed by ongoing evaluation based on any residual effects that remain.

Available Rating Levels

RatingWhat It Reflects
100%The vascular condition is rated at 100% for the first 6 months (rated under Codes 8007 through 8009).
10%Thereafter, the VA rates the residuals of the condition, with 10% as the minimum rating.

What the VA Looks For

  • Ascertainable residuals. For the minimum ratings for residuals under Diagnostic Codes 8000–8025, the VA requires that there be residuals that can be identified.
  • Handling of subjective residuals. For residuals that cannot be objectively verified — such as headaches, dizziness, and fatigability — the VA approaches the determination on the basis of the diagnosis recorded. Subjective residuals will be accepted when they are consistent with the disease and not more likely attributable to another disease or to no disease at all.
  • Citing the codes used. When ratings above the prescribed minimum are assigned, it is considered exceptionally important that the diagnostic codes used as the basis of evaluation be cited, in addition to the codes identifying the diagnoses.

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.124a. Individual evaluations depend on the specific facts and evidence in each case.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8008. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 8008 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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