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GARP Chapter 5: Brain and Nerve Conditions, Explained Simply

This chapter rates what the injury left behind. If your problem comes in attacks, Chapter 15 will usually give you a bigger number.

Veterans Health Centre · 7 September 2026 · 6 min read

Chapter 5 covers the brain and the nerves. Head injuries, stroke, nerve damage, and conditions like Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis.

It rates what the damage left you with. Not the injury itself.

The five things it measures

Cognition — memory, thinking, planning, judgement
Comprehension — understanding what is said or written to you
Expression — getting words out, speaking, writing
Sensory nerves — numbness, pins and needles, loss of feeling
Cranial nerves — the nerves of the face and head: smell, taste, facial movement, swallowing, shoulder shrug

Then there is a sixth table for "Other Impairment" — specific neurological diagnoses and their treatment.

You get the higher of your functional score and the Other Impairment score.

Where the rest of it is rated

This chapter shares work with others. Nothing gets counted twice.

Weakness in an arm or leg after a stroke or nerve injury — rated in Chapter 3 as loss of limb function.
Hearing — Chapter 7.
Vision — Chapter 8.
Mood and behaviour changes after a head injury — Chapter 4.
Seizures, migraines and anything else that comes in attacks — Chapter 15. This matters a lot, see below.
If you need help washing, dressing or moving — Chapter 16.

Epilepsy and migraine: the important bit

If your problem comes in attacks, and you are more or less fine between them, this chapter will underrate you badly.

Chapter 15 is designed for exactly that. It scores:

how bad an attack is
how long it lasts
how many days a year it takes off you

A veteran with 40 migraine days a year can score meaningfully under Chapter 15 and almost nothing under Chapter 5.

Keep a diary. Dates, how long, what you could not do. Twelve months of it is one of the most valuable documents you can bring.

Numbness and nerve pain

Sensory loss is scored by where it is and how much it costs you. Loss of feeling in your fingertips matters more than loss of feeling on your thigh, because you use your fingertips.

Say what it stops you doing. Buttons, coins, keys, feeling the pedals, burning yourself without noticing.

Smell and taste

Often forgotten. Loss of smell or taste after a head injury is scored under the cranial nerve table. It is also a safety issue — not smelling gas or smoke. Mention it.

What this means for you

Keep an attack diary if you have seizures, migraines or dizzy spells.
Ask for Chapter 15 to be applied as well as Chapter 5.
Bring someone who knows you if memory or word-finding is the problem. You may not be the best judge of it.
Describe what the numbness stops you doing, not just where it is.
Do not leave out smell and taste.
Make sure limb weakness is rated in Chapter 3 as well. It is a separate score.

Common questions

I get migraines. Which chapter?

Both should be looked at, and you take the higher. Chapter 15 usually wins for anything that comes in attacks.

My stroke left my left side weak. Where is that rated?

The weakness is rated in Chapter 3 as limb function. Any speech, memory or comprehension problems are rated here in Chapter 5.

Does a head injury with no lasting effect score anything?

If it truly left nothing, it is recorded under Chapter 13 at nil. But check first — sleep, mood and concentration changes are common and are rated elsewhere.

Next in this series

Chapter 6: stomach and bowel.

Want a hand with yours?

If you have a permanent impairment assessment coming up, we do these every week. Call 0429 146 039 or email reception@vhc.org.au.