That's a concern for Dr. Malcolm B. Dick, neuropsychologist at UC Irvine's MIND Institute (the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders).

"With the right diagnosis, we might be able to make a difference and lower the risk of the disease progressing to a different stage," he says.

Q. You have diagnosed more than 6,000 people in your 20-plus years with the Institute. In fact, you have just been awarded the Institute's first MIND Award. What has changed about diagnosing the disease over the years?

A. Boomers are so sensitized to cognitive illness that they worry if they notice a change. That is the good news. When the clinic opened in the 1990s, the majority of patients we saw were already into mild or moderate dementia.

Now, we see a lot of people in the first five years of mild cognitive impairment. They may not have dementia but a memory loss from some other problem that they are concerned about. It's a good thing they are coming in. It might make a difference and lower the risk of the problem progressing to a different stage.

Now, something can be done to lessen the likelihood of dementia.

Q. What percentage of the people you see have Alzheimer's? A. Probably 65 percent of the people I diagnose have Alzheimer's. Other causes of dementia can include a stroke, hypothyrodism or not enough B12. And then there are 10 to 15 percent who will have Lewy Body, a form of dementia which, like Alzheimer's, is not reversible.

Q. I am told you have an accuracy rate of 90 to 95 percent in your diagnosis. The average rate for a diagnosis by a physician is 80 percent. What is your procedure?

A. We do a comprehensive evaluation for dementia and that includes a complete medical history, changes in behavior, initial symptoms. There is a physical examination and a neurological examination. This helps us to identify such problems as inappropriate use of drugs or a combination of drugs. The history tells us if this is a slow, insidious projection — more characteristic of Alzheimer's.

We look for sensory or motor changes. How a person walks, the gait and the arm swing. It takes a little bit of time.

Q. And the cost?

A. About $450.

Q. Huge numbers of people are projected to have dementia in the future because so many of us are living longer. This is a disease that comes with aging, but I am told more women than men over age 90 exhibit dementia. Any thoughts?

A. We're studying why a gender difference increases the risk of dementia with age, but I have no answer for you yet.

Q. Any way to prevent dementia?

A. We believe lifestyle — physical and mental exercise, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, diet — makes a difference in how the disease progresses.

Q. And if I want to make an appointment to see you at the UCI MIND Institute?

A. Call the Institute at (949) 824-2382

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10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's

1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life 2. Challenges in planning or solving problems 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks 4. Confusion with time or place 5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships 6. New problems with words in speaking and writing 7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps 8. Decreased or poor judgment 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities 10. Changes in mood and personality

—UCI MIND Institute