Shannon Marie Truxel v. Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of Social Security Administration1

United States Court of Appeals
For the Eighth Circuit
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No. 24-2350
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Shannon Marie Truxel
lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellant
v.
Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of Social Security Administration1
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant - Appellee
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Appeal from United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Missouri - Cape Girardeau
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Submitted: June 24, 2025
Filed: June 27, 2025
[Unpublished]
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Before SMITH, KELLY, and KOBES, Circuit Judges.
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PER CURIAM.
1Frank Bisignano has been appointed to serve as Commissioner of Social
Security, and is substituted as appellee pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate
Procedure 43(c).

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Shannon Truxel appeals the district court’s2 order affirming the denial of
disability insurance benefits. We agree with the court that substantial evidence in the
record as a whole supports the adverse decision. See Ross v. O’Malley, 92 F.4th 775,
778 (8th Cir. 2024) (standard of review).
Specifically, we conclude that the administrative law judge (ALJ) adequately
addressed Truxel’s diagnosis of empty sella syndrome, as she has not established any
symptoms or limitations arising from this condition that the ALJ did not consider.
See Trenary v. Bowen, 898 F.2d 1361, 1364 (8th Cir. 1990) (critical question in
disability claim is not diagnosis, but rather functional limitations imposed by
impairment). We also find that the ALJ adequately considered the combined effect
of Truxel’s impairments, and that substantial evidence supports the ALJ’s RFC
determination. See Despain v. Berryhill, 926 F.3d 1024, 1028-29 (8th Cir. 2019)
(substantial evidence supported RFC finding based on treating and other providers’
notes, state agency consultants’ opinions, and claimant’s treatment and daily
activities); Raney v. Barnhart, 396 F.3d 1007, 1011 (8th Cir. 2005) (ALJ properly
considered effect of claimant’s combined physical and mental impairments, based on
express statement that he considered claimant’s impairments “individually and in
combination,” and that he based RFC assessment on combination of claimant’s
impairments).
The judgment is affirmed.
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2The Honorable Stephen R. Welby, United States Magistrate Judge for the
Eastern District of Missouri, to whom the case was referred for final disposition by
consent of the parties pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).
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