Introduction

The concept of cognitive reserve, developed since the 1980s, refers to individual differences in the brain’s ability to cope with neurodegenerative damage or changes without overt clinical symptoms. The purpose of this article is to present work on the Polish translation of the Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq), a tool for assessing cognitive reserves in adults.

Material and methods

With the permission of the authors of the original questionnaire, the sheet was translated into Polish using the method of straight translation and retranslation, and then verified by a native speaker of English. The tool was used to interview a group of 15 people with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease with support from their relatives.

Results

All overall scores ranged from medium to high. 2/3 of the scores from the Education section fell within the medium-high and high scores, while only one score from the Recreation section fell within the medium-high. Scores in the area of labor activity varied, with the study group including people in both physical and high-skilled jobs.

Conclusions

The data from the interview may be important in supporting people with cognitive disabilities in maintaining their activity. For people without neurological disorders, the questionnaire questions may provide additional encouragement to undertake activities that promote the building of cognitive reserves. It can complement the clinical interview and promote the practice of personalised medicine.