Objectives The objectives of this study were to develop and conduct a preliminary evaluation of a questionnaire for cognitive functioning in the adult general population.
Methods 370 subjects from the Betula Prospective Cohort Study answered a questionnaire containing a 90 item pool pertaining to everyday failures of memory and cognition. Item selection for the reduced questionnaire was guided by associations with age and previous measures of objective cognitive performance, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress.
Results Principal components analysis was conducted and 20 items loading on six components were selected for the final questionnaire. The total scale was internally consistent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90), had moderate correlations with age, objective memory/cognitive performance, and low correlations with depressive symptoms and perceived stress suggesting construct validity.
Conclusion The pilot version of the CIQ is promising as a self-rating screening tool for milder forms of cognitive impairment in the adult general population.