Dementia pugilistica

Dementia pugilistica — DVA SoP factors

Every factor in the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles for Dementia pugilistica. DVA can only accept a claim for Dementia pugilistica if at least one of these factors is met and connected to your service. Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) applies to operational service; Balance of Probabilities (BoP) applies to peacetime service.

Source: Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles as held by the Veterans Health Centre. SoPs are amended and replaced regularly; always confirm the current instrument at rma.gov.au before relying on it.

RH No. 9 of 2021 · BoP No. 10 of 20216 factors

Meaning of dementia pugilistica: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, dementia pugilistica: (a) means a chronic brain disorder involving disabling cognitive, motor and behavioural impairments, occurring in individuals with a history of repeated blows to the head; and (b) excludes encephalopathy resulting from a single episode of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 9 of 2021

At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting dementia pugilistica or death from dementia pugilistica with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
having received at least 250 blows to the head within a continuous period of 20 years, while participating in a high impact contact activity, where the first blow to the head occurred at least ten years before the clinical onset of dementia pugilistica;
Note: blows to the head and high impact contact activity are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(2)
having experienced at least 50 occasions of head trauma within a continuous period of 20 years, during each of which numerous blows to the head were sustained, while participating in a high impact contact activity, and where the first occasion occurred at least ten years before the clinical onset of dementia pugilistica;
Note: blows to the head and high impact contact activity are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(3)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for dementia pugilistica;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(3) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 10 of 2021

3 factors

At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, dementia pugilistica or death from dementia pugilistica is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
having received at least 250 blows to the head within a continuous period of 20 years, while participating in a high impact contact activity, where the first blow to the head occurred at least ten years before the clinical onset of dementia pugilistica;
Note: blows to the head and high impact contact activity are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(2)
having experienced at least 50 occasions of head trauma within a continuous period of 20 years, during each of which numerous blows to the head were sustained, while participating in a high impact contact activity, and where the first occasion occurred at least ten years before the clinical onset of dementia pugilistica;
Note: blows to the head and high impact contact activity are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(3)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for dementia pugilistica;

Accepted — what is it worth?

A Statement of Principles decides one thing only: whether DVA accepts liability for dementia pugilistica. It says nothing about how much you are paid. Compensation is worked out separately, from impairment points under the GARP — so a condition can be accepted and still rate few points, or rate more than you expect once it is combined with everything else on your file.