What can I claim secondary to moderate to severe traumatic brain injury?
22 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list moderate to severe traumatic brain injury as a factor. If DVA has accepted your moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionModerate to severe traumatic brain injury
- Conditions it may open22
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, and another condition's SoP lists moderate to severe traumatic brain injury as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list moderate to severe traumatic brain injury as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Accommodation disorder
RH No. 38 of 2017 · BoP No. 39 of 2017
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (3): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at the time of the clinical onset of accommodation disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (8): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at the time of the clinical worsening of accommodation disorder” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (3): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at the time of the clinical onset of accommodation disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (8): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at the time of the clinical worsening of accommodation disorder” [worsening]
Alzheimer disease
RH No. 33 of 2019 · BoP No. 34 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at least ten years before the clinical onset of Alzheimer disease” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Arachnoid cyst
RH No. 11 of 2025 · BoP No. 12 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before clinical onset of cranial arachnoid cyst” [clinical onset] — factor (3): “having concussion or a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 3 months before clinical worsening of cranial arachnoid cyst” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before clinical onset of cranial arachnoid cyst” [clinical onset] — factor (2): “having concussion or a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 3 months before clinical worsening of cranial arachnoid cyst” [worsening]
Bipolar disorder
RH No. 53 of 2018 · BoP No. 54 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “for bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, major depressive episode with mixed features, other specified bipolar and related disorder and unspecified bipolar and related disorder only: (a) experiencing a category 1A stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (b) experiencing a category 1B stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (c) experiencing a category 2 stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (d) experiencing the death of a significant other within the one year before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (e) experiencing the death from suicide of a close family member before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (f) being within 90 days postpartum at the time of the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (g) having alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder at the time of the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (h) having a disorder of mental health from Specified List 1 of clinically significant disorders of mental health within the ten years before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (i) having insomnia as specified at the time of the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; or (j) having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the five years before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (20): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the one year before the clinical worsening of bipolar disorder” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, major depressive episode with mixed features and other specified bipolar and related disorder and unspecified bipolar and related disorder are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Bruxism
RH No. 91 of 2016 · BoP No. 92 of 2016
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “experiencing a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical onset of bruxism” [clinical onset] — factor (10): “experiencing a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical worsening of bruxism” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “experiencing a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical onset of bruxism” [clinical onset] — factor (6): “experiencing a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical worsening of bruxism” [worsening]
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
RH No. 45 of 2024 · BoP No. 46 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (33): “experiencing a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 1 year before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (30): “experiencing a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 6 months before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Chronic insomnia disorder
RH No. 37 of 2019 · BoP No. 38 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the one year before the clinical onset of chronic insomnia disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (25): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the one year before the clinical worsening of chronic insomnia disorder” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Cluster headache
RH No. 57 of 2018 · BoP No. 58 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before the clinical onset of cluster headache, where cluster headache has developed within the seven days of: (a) injury to the head; or (b) regaining consciousness following the injury to the head; or (c) discontinuing medication that impairs the ability to sense or report headache following the injury to the head” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Epilepsy
RH No. 84 of 2022 · BoP No. 85 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before the clinical onset of epilepsy” [clinical onset] — factor (22): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before the clinical worsening of epilepsy” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before the clinical onset of epilepsy” [clinical onset] — factor (20): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before the clinical worsening of epilepsy” [worsening]
Hyperacusis
RH No. 27 of 2021 · BoP No. 28 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (7): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical onset of hyperacusis” [clinical onset] — factor (25): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical worsening of hyperacusis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (6): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical onset of hyperacusis” [clinical onset] — factor (21): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical worsening of hyperacusis” [worsening]
Meniere disease and meniere syndrome
RH No. 68 of 2024 · BoP No. 69 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 6 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 3 months, before clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
Narcolepsy
RH No. 11 of 2022 · BoP No. 12 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 2 years before the clinical onset of narcolepsy, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical onset of narcolepsy occurred within 2 years of regaining consciousness” [clinical onset] — factor (9): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 2 years before the clinical worsening of narcolepsy, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical worsening of narcolepsy occurred within 2 years of regaining consciousness” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 2 years before the clinical onset of narcolepsy, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical onset of narcolepsy occurred within 2 years of regaining consciousness” [clinical onset] — factor (8): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 2 years before the clinical worsening of narcolepsy, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical worsening of narcolepsy occurred within 2 years of regaining consciousness” [worsening]
Panic disorder
RH No. 55 of 2018 · BoP No. 56 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the ten years before the clinical onset of panic disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (21): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the ten years before the clinical worsening of panic disorder” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (9): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the five years before the clinical onset of panic disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (20): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the five years before the clinical worsening of panic disorder” [worsening]
Parkinson's disease and secondary parkinsonism
RH No. 55 of 2016
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “for Parkinson's disease only: (a) inhaling, ingesting or having cutaneous contact with a pesticide from the specified list of pesticides, for a cumulative period of at least 1 000 hours, before the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease; (b) having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury more than 15 years before the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease; (c) inhaling trichloroethylene vapour in an enclosed space, or having cutaneous contact with trichloroethylene, for a cumulative period of at least 2 000 hours, at least 20 years before the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease; (d) an inability to undertake any physical activity greater than three METs for at least ten years within the 20 years before the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease; (e) consuming an average of at least one litre of milk per day for at least the 15 years before the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease; (f) consuming an average of at least 150 grams of cheese per day for at least the 15 years before the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease; (g) having clinically significant depressive disorder or generalised anxiety disorder at least 15 years before the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease; or (h) in a person with a history of a regular smoking habit as specified, having not smoked for at least the five years before the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease; Parkinson's Disease and Secondary Parkinsonism (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 55 of 2016) Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986” [clinical onset] — factor (2): “for secondary parkinsonism only: (a) having an episode of acute cholinergic poisoning from exposure to an organophosphorus ester within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (b) having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the one year before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (c) having an intracranial space occupying lesion within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (d) having hydrocephalus, or draining of hydrocephalus, within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (e) having a cerebrovascular accident, excluding transient ischaemic attack, within the five years before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (f) having a disease from the specified list of diseases involving the cerebral vessels, in the presence of neuroimaging findings of brain stem or cerebral white matter lesions, haemorrhage or infarction, at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (g) having a subarachnoid haemorrhage within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (h) having an acquired cerebrovascular malformation or dural arteriovenous fistula at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (i) having an hypoxic cerebral insult within the two years before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (j) having influenza within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (k) having encephalitis within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (l) being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; Parkinson's Disease and Secondary Parkinsonism (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 55 of 2016) Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (m) having neurosyphilis at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (n) having neurocysticercosis at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (o) inhaling carbon disulphide vapour in an enclosed space, or having cutaneous contact with carbon disulphide, for a cumulative period of at least 500 hours, within the ten years before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (p) inhaling trichloroethylene vapour in an enclosed space, or having cutaneous contact with trichloroethylene, for a cumulative period of at least 2 000 hours, within the 20 years before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (q) inhaling or ingesting methanol or ethylene glycol, and having clinical, haematological or biochemical evidence of methanol or ethylene glycol intoxication, within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (r) being exposed to manganese as specified for a cumulative period of at least 250 hours, within the ten years before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (s) having clinical or biochemical evidence of manganese intoxication while receiving total parenteral nutrition or maintenance haemodialysis, at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (t) inhaling, ingesting or having cutaneous contact with cyanide, and having clinical, haematological or biochemical evidence of cyanide intoxication, within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (u) having an injection containing 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (v) using khat (Catha edulis), Ecstasy (3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or the drug methcathinone (ephedrone) within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; Parkinson's Disease and Secondary Parkinsonism (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 55 of 2016) Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (w) taking a drug or a drug from a class of drugs from the specified list of drugs, for a continuous period of at least seven days within the three months before the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (x) having a disorder of calcium metabolism from the specified list of disorders of calcium metabolism at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (y) having cirrhosis of the liver at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (z) having chronic renal failure at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; (aa) having a disease from the specified list of autoimmune diseases at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism; or (bb) having a paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis at the time of the clinical onset of secondary parkinsonism” [clinical onset] — factor (5): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the one year before the clinical worsening of Parkinson's disease or secondary parkinsonism” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: specified list of pesticides is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Note: acute cholinergic poisoning and organophosphorus ester are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Periodic limb movement disorder
RH No. 19 of 2023 · BoP No. 20 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (6): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 3 months before the clinical onset of periodic limb movement disorder, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical onset of periodic limb movement disorder occurred within 3 months of regaining consciousness” [clinical onset] — factor (15): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 3 months before the clinical worsening of periodic limb movement disorder, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical worsening of periodic limb movement disorder occurred within 3 months of regaining consciousness” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Schizophrenia
RH No. 83 of 2016 · BoP No. 84 of 2016
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (11): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the five years before the clinical onset of schizophrenia” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Seizure
RH No. 37 of 2022 · BoP No. 38 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 20 years before the clinical onset of seizure” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 10 years before the clinical onset of seizure” [clinical onset]
Sensorineural hearing loss
RH No. 98 of 2019 · BoP No. 99 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (26): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the three months before the clinical onset of sensorineural hearing loss” [clinical onset] — factor (61): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the three months before the clinical worsening of sensorineural hearing loss” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Shingles and postherpetic neuralgia
RH No. 27 of 2023 · BoP No. 28 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before the clinical onset of shingles or postherpetic neuralgia” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Suicide and attempted suicide
RH No. 39 of 2025 · BoP No. 40 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (23): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (22): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Tinnitus
RH No. 84 of 2020 · BoP No. 85 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (19): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the three months before the clinical onset of tinnitus” [clinical onset] — factor (57): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the three months before the clinical worsening of tinnitus” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Vascular neurocognitive disorder
RH No. 9 of 2023 · BoP No. 10 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (18): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at least 5 years before the clinical onset of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (37): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at least 5 years before the clinical worsening of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (13): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at least 5 years before the clinical onset of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (26): “having moderate to severe traumatic brain injury at least 5 years before the clinical worsening of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open accommodation disorder
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions moderate to severe traumatic brain injury does.
What DVA means by moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: (a) means damage to the brain resulting from the transfer of kinetic energy to the brain from external physical forces, as manifested by at least one of the following: (i) loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes; (ii) anterograde amnesia for more than 24 hours; (iii) an intracranial lesion, including an abnormality attributable to the injury seen on structural imaging (conventional magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scanning); (iv) penetration of the dura mater; or (v) a Glasgow Coma Scale score of less than 13; and (b) excludes injury from radiation, electricity, heat and surgery.
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes injury from radiation, electricity, heat and surgery. A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury where it was already present before or during service. If service caused moderate to severe traumatic brain injury outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 94 of 2018 · BoP No. 95 of 2018 · 2 factors
Every factor in the moderate to severe traumatic brain injury SoP →
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury accepted?
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