Frequently, my patients will come to a visit and bring up a major concern: "Doc, I think I might have dementia; my memory seems to be slipping." They might give examples of having difficulty finding words, forgetting people's names or just feeling like their thinking is slower. Many of them know a family member who had dementia and they are worried.

My first response is to hear their concerns; of course, if a patient is showing early signs of dementia, we want to assess that and do our best to get to a diagnosis for them. What I have found, however, is that often when these concerns are rai...