Cerebellar tumors often affect the eye movement centers located in vermis, negatively affecting cognitive development and learning abilities in children. Previous research has established that patients who survived cerebellar tumors tend to demonstrate various saccadic impairments (e.g., hypermetria) and poor gaze stability as compared to healthy controls. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the influence of oculomotor deficits in such patients on reading parameters. A total of 112 children (8–17 y.o.), 65 of whom survived cerebellar tumors, participated in the study. The study design included several oculomotor and reading tasks. Eye movements were recorded every 1/60 s monocularly with an Arrington eye tracker. We observed profound reading impairments in the patients as compared to healthy children, including longer reading time, greater numbers of fixations and regressive saccades, and longer fixation durations. We also found significant correlations between changes in basic oculomotor functions and reading parameters. The patients also demonstrated gaze fixation instability, large number of fixations, and long scanpath reflecting the return of the gaze to the already counted objects. Thus, oculomotor changes caused by cerebellar tumor and its treatment led to disturbances in such neurocognitive activity as reading. Our findings emphasize the necessity of considering these deficits in cerebellar tumor survivors when designing rehabilitation protocols.

Background. Math anxiety is a state of fear and anxiety that an individual experiences when interacting with mathematical problems. Currently, there is a lack of questionnaires to measure mathematical anxiety for Russian-speaking schoolchildren.The aim. The study analyzed the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS).Materials and methods. The study involved 1,198 schoolchildren in grades 10–11. The psychometric properties of the AMAS were analyzed.Results. AMAS demonstrated bifactor structure: subscales of Learning Math Anxiety (LMA) and Math Evaluation Anxiety (MEA) and general scale of Math Anxiety. The bifactor model demonstrated the best fit indices. Analysis confirmed reliable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas for LMA = 0.82, MEA = 0.75, total AMAS = 0.95). External validity of AMAS has been confirmed. LMA showed lower scores than MEA. The distribution of scores on the general AMAS scale was shifted to low values. Girls showed higher scores on all scales of the questionnaire. The analysis also confirmed measurement invariance for both boys and girls.Conclusion. Based on the analysis, we can conclude that the AMAS is a valid tool for assessing mathematical anxiety in high school students.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) inventory among students. The data was collected via an online platform from Russian universities involving first–fourth-year students (N = 670). The participants completed the Brief COPE inventory (32 items). Of these, 529 (79%) were female, and 141 (21%) were male. The age range was 18 to 29 years. For this study, the inventory was modified, and its reliability (internal consistency) and validity (internal, external) were assessed. Participants were asked also to complete three additional tests: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ-10). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed that the data fit the expected six-factor structure after a reduction of seven items with low factor loadings from the inventory structure. The internal consistency was good (Cronbach’s α in the range of 0.65–0.91). External validity demonstrated weak but significant indicators: all correlations between most scales of the brief COPE inventory and the scores of other tests ranged from 0.067 to 0.364). The Brief COPE, comprising 25 items, is a new tool for assessing the coping strategies of Russian students. It is a reliable, valid, accurate, and acceptable measure of coping strategies that can be used in large-scale studies in Russia. Additionally, the developed instrument may be potentially useful for application in educational and psychological screening, which opens up further opportunities for its practical implementation.

Context and relevance. Cerebellar tumors often negatively affect cognitive development and learning abilities in children. Objective. The aim of the current study was to assess the impact of cerebellar cancer on the cognitive functions such as attention, visual-spatial memory, and planning in children. Methods and materials. A total of 322 children (8–17 y.o.), 118 of whom survived cerebellar tumors, participated in the study. Cognitive tasks were assessed using CANTAB. Results. We observed less abilities in attention and working memory and described clinical factors which influenced to performance of school-age children after treatment. Conclusions. Our findings emphasize the necessity of considering these deficits in cerebellar tumor survivors when designing rehabilitation protocols.

Mathematical anxiety (MA) negatively affects all aspects of activities related to manipulating numbers, both in education and in everyday life. MA is negatively associated with mathematical self-efficacy, subjective value of mathematics, attitude, and interest towards mathematics. Individuals with pronounced MA have a lower need for cognitive load and reflective thinking. Among the predictors of MA, cognitive, personality, and social aspects can be identified. The question of the brain mechanisms of MA remains relevant. The review provides an analysis of studies on the neurophysiological correlates of mathematical anxiety using modern psychophysiological methods: electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results of studies using these methods are inconsistent. When studying MA, attention is paid to brain structures associated with the processing of both emotional information and cognitive processes. The analysis of the literature has shown that when implementing corrective measures, it is important to consider the lack of a unified theoretical approach, which raises questions about the causes of MA.

Approximate number sense is the ability to evaluate quantitative information without using symbols. The system of nonsymbolic numerosity representation is associated with the evaluation of non-numerical visual characteristics; with the congruency effect reflects this relationship. The congruency effect is considered as the difference in accuracy between congruent items in which non-numerical visual parameters positively correlate with quantitative ones, and non-congruent tasks in non-symbolic comparison tests. The article discusses two main theories explaining the process of nonsymbolic numerosity representation, in particular, the theory of the "number sense" and the sensory integration theory. Each of these theories suggests different explanatory models of the congruency effect, such as the inhibition model and the Attentional bias induced by stimulus control (ABC) model. In the experimental study, it was investigated to what extent the changes of the congruency effect depend on the format of the presentation of stimuli and the duration of stimuli presentation. In a sample of 97 students, a nonsymbolic comparison test was used in two formats, mixed (when the compared sets of objects are not spatially separated from each other) and separated. Each person performed nonsymbolic numerosity comparison tasks under conditions of short time presentation of stimuli (400 ms) and long time presentation of stimuli (1000 ms). For analysis of results generalized linear mixed effects models were applied. The results indicate that the congruency effect decreases under conditions of longer presentation of stimuli, however, this change is found only in the separated format of presentation of stimuli. In a mixed presentation format, when the assessment of visual parameters becomes less confident, there is no congruence effect. With an increase in the duration of presentation of stimuli, it becomes the opposite, i.e. the accuracy of nonsymbolic comparison in incongruent tasks has become higher than in congruent ones. Generally speaking, the results are in line with the “number sense” theory and have been elaborated upon. In general, the nonsymbolic numerosity representation considered as the adaptive and fluent interaction of two processes – the direct evaluation of numerosity and the evaluation of non-numerical visual cues.