It's been widely reported in the press this week that James Doohan, the beloved actor behind legendary engineer "Montgomery Scott," has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He is in the early stages of the progressive neurological disorder, but the 84-year-old actor still plans to be in attendance at the special convention being held in his honor at the end of next month.

"He's looking forward to being at the convention, meeting with his fans and getting his star on the Walk of Fame," said Steven Stevens Sr., Doohan's agent of 28 years.

The "Beam Me Up Scotty ... One Last Time" event organized by Planet Xpo will take place August 28-30 in Los Angeles, and will be followed by a ceremony granting Doohan a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, August 31 (related story).

The guest of honor will be confined to a wheelchair, however, and may be limited in his ability to speak at the convention, depending on his condition at the time.

Reportedly Doohan's short-term memory is beginning to fail as a result of the onset of Alzheimer's, though his long-term memories are intact and he can still recognize people. His son Chris has stated that his father can still tell detailed stories about his Star Trek days and about his World War II experiences, including his participation in the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

Stevens confirms that Doohan is currently feeling fine, despite also being afflicted with Parkinson's disease — a disorder of the nervous system causing tremors and loss of muscular coordination — as well as diabetes and lung fibrosis (the latter a result of chemical exposure during WWII). He was also recently hospitalized for 13 weeks with pneumonia.

But, according to Stevens, when Doohan was watching television this week and heard the news about himself, he remarked with a smile to his wife Wende, "If I had Alzheimer's, I think I would've remembered."

Doohan lives in Washington, outside Seattle, with Wende and his four-year-old daughter Sarah.