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Headlines 15 H er late husband, Brian Caughey, was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD) in the early 1990s. LBD is a disease associated with abnormal deposits in the brain of a protein called alpha-synuclein. These are the Lewy bodies. They interfere with brain chemicals, causing changes which, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behaviour andmood. For over 12 years following Brian’s diagnosis, Angela cared for him. That’s over 4,000 days spent together, navigating a disease that pitted Brian against reality. And yet throughout it all, Angela stayed by his side, aligning her reality with his, caring for himuntil he died in 2006. Since then, she has taken her experience of dementia, expanded her knowledge of the condition, and written a series of books to help others. In 2013, she published her first dementia-related book, Dealing Daily with Dementia: 2000+ Practical Hints & Strategies for Carers , for people involved in all areas of dementia care – a fountain of practical knowledge accumulated over years by her and her support group. Then, in 2018, she published How to Communicate with Someone who has Dementia: A Guide for Carers , which teaches carers how to express their messages effectively and interpret what the person with dementia is trying to convey. Now, earlier this year, at the age of 92, she has published her third dementia-related book, A Better Brain for Life: Preventing Dementia and Other Chronic Diseases , which uses the most up-to-date research to show how to achieve a healthy brain and body. We had the privilege of sitting down with Angela to learn more about this book. So much of your story, as both an ambassador and author, involves Brian. What was he like? He was lovely. I could never get over the fact that I got him because everyone had a crush on him. At school, he was outstanding: Head Prefect, in the First XV, and the rest. There’s a song from the show Annie Get Your Gun called The Girl That I Marry , and I created my own words for it as The Man That I Marry , and Brian was IT . He had all the prerequisites – except he didn’t keep his shoes as well shined as my father did! But he was considerate, kind, generous, and emotionally intelligent. We were great friends. He had a very poor brain though. He once said, “Oh, I wish I had a better brain!” And I said “Well, would you have swapped having a better brain for being as good at sports as you are?” “Oh no!” he said, “I would’ve been good at sports too!”. Your previous books arose from your experience of caring for Brian. What inspired your latest book, ‘A Better Brain for Life’? People often asked me if they could prevent dementia. I wondered, too. But then I heard that a distinguished pharmacologist fromOxford University, Professor David Smith, had been brought to New Zealand by the Neurological Foundation to speak about preventing dementia, so I got a hold of his notes. Although two pages were missing, I used them, along with another resource called ‘14 tips for brain health’ to begin speaking to groups. Those two were my flimsy background material. Later, when my publisher, Linda Cassells of Calico Publishing, asked me if I’d like to write a book about the subject, I said yes! This meant I needed material with much more integrity. So, for starters, I emailed Professor Smith – a complete stranger – asking him for those two missing pages. He was on holiday at the time, but he emailed me back straight away. “I’ll send you those notes. This is a book that needs to be written.” I became inspired and began researching more widely and deeply. At first, the scientific language in the research papers baffled me; but gradually I realised they were showing proven ways to prevent some dementia; and I sought help from a doctor about the content I couldn’t understand. He clarified it for me and then advised me to only quote RCTs (Randomised Controlled Trials) as references if I wanted to be taken seriously. RCTs are experiments using thousands of subjects. As a result, over 200 of them form the basis of the book. What’s the most extraordinary research/information you encountered while writing ‘A Better Brain for Life’? Two things. One, that the methods emerging which can prevent dementia can also prevent other chronic diseases. Two, the realisation that you can’t cure dementia, that you must prevent it, and that prevention can start extraordinarily early. When I finished my manuscript, I sent it to Professor Smith and he wrote back and said “You write well, it’s a good book, although I don’t agree with your thesis that prevention should start as early as childhood. But it’s your book, so if you want to write about that, then do.” A month later, I received another email from him saying “You’ve got to read this!”. It had an attachment showing that researchers had discovered Alzheimer’s plaques in the brain of a 10-year-old, and over the next few months, he sent me more and more research papers proving that my thesis was indeed correct. Needless to say, he was sent a free book! It’s no secret that younger people often consider themselves to be invincible. How do you think we go about getting them to care about their health and future wellbeing? Parents can teach their kids that they’re not invincible by letting them see that they, the parents, are not invincible. If the parents are open about what they’re going through, what they’re feeling, what they’re learning, and how they’re coping – they set an example of sensible adult strategies for their children to follow. The young ones learn that being grown-up has its difficulties, and they may become a bit more cautious. If you could leave each person in this world with one message, what would it be? Be yourself. You’re unique. And treat others as you like to be treated. A special thanks to Angela Caughey for taking the time to talk with us, and for more than 25 years of supporting the Neurological Foundation. Her books, including her latest 'A Better Brain for Life', are available to purchase on the Calico Publishing website: https://calicopublishing.co.nz/. On Tuesday 14 June we’ll be hosting a digital event with Angela Caughey. She will be discussing the content of her books, from caring for and communicating with someone who has dementia to preventing the condition itself. To register, please visit our wesbite neurological.org.nz or call us on 0508 BRAINS (272 467).