Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders§ 4.124aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 8108Narcolepsy

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

View official source

Not the right code?

In short

Summary

Rate as for epilepsy, petit mal.

The ladder

What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 100%

    Averaging at least 1 major seizure per month over the last year

  2. 80%

    Averaging at least 1 major seizure in 3 months over the last year; or more than 10 minor seizures weekly

  3. 60%

    Averaging at least 1 major seizure in 4 months over the last year; or 9-10 minor seizures per week

  4. 40%

    At least 1 major seizure in the last 6 months or 2 in the last year; or averaging at least 5 to 8 minor seizures weekly

  5. 20%

    At least 1 major seizure in the last 2 years; or at least 2 minor seizures in the last 6 months

  6. 10%

    A confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy with a history of seizures

How it is applied

General rating formula

General Rating Formula for Major and Minor Epileptic Seizures

Narcolepsy (VA Diagnostic Code 8108)

Body System: Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders Regulation: 38 CFR § 4.124a Rating Formula: General Rating Formula for Major and Minor Epileptic Seizures

Understanding This Condition

Narcolepsy is listed in the VA rating schedule under Diagnostic Code 8108. Under the VA's criteria, narcolepsy is rated as for epilepsy, petit mal. This means the condition is evaluated using the General Rating Formula for Major and Minor Epileptic Seizures, which measures the frequency and type of seizure activity documented over time.

Because narcolepsy is rated using the epilepsy formula, the VA groups the qualifying episodes into two categories — major seizures and minor seizures — and looks at how often each type occurs over specified time periods.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns one of the following disability ratings based on documented seizure frequency:

RatingCriteria
100%Averaging at least 1 major seizure per month over the last year
80%Averaging at least 1 major seizure in 3 months over the last year; or more than 10 minor seizures weekly
60%Averaging at least 1 major seizure in 4 months over the last year; or 9–10 minor seizures per week
40%At least 1 major seizure in the last 6 months or 2 in the last year; or averaging at least 5 to 8 minor seizures weekly
20%At least 1 major seizure in the last 2 years; or at least 2 minor seizures in the last 6 months
10%A confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy with a history of seizures

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating narcolepsy under Diagnostic Code 8108, the VA focuses on:

  • The type of episodes — whether they are classified as major seizures or minor seizures.
  • The frequency of major seizures — measured over the last year, the last 6 months, or the last 2 years, depending on the rating level being considered.
  • The frequency of minor seizures — measured on a weekly basis or over a 6-month period, depending on the rating level.
  • A confirmed diagnosis with a documented history — which is the basis for the 10% level.

Because ratings under this code depend on documented frequency and type of episodes over defined time periods, the medical record and history of episodes play a central role in how the condition is evaluated.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8108. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

View official source
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 8108 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

Six reads your records against these exact criteria and tells you what the VA is still missing.

Start for freeAll 119 Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders codes →