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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a water cup device for voice therapy as a biofeedback device for water resistance therapy (WRT), one of the semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTEs) using sensors. In addition, we explore the usefulness of the system for training in voice therapy by implementing water resistance phonation through newly developed devices.Methods: Using Arduino, the water resistance value was measured using a water level sensor, and a system was developed to visually implement the water resistance value and duration of exhalation and vocalization according to the change in water level caused by bubbles. Visual feedback was provided using LED sensors that represent colors according to the height of the water level. The WRT step was performed on six normal adults (male 3 and female 3) to implement changes in water level change amplification rate according to tube diameter and depth, and quantitatively analyzed.Results: The experiment showed that different LED colors were displayed depending on the resistance value of the water level. The LED’s brightness decreased as the width of the silicone tube diameter became larger in the bubble according to the tube diameter. Moreover, compared to 5 mm or 7 mm, a tube diameter of 10 mm showed the lowest amplification rate, regardless of with or without phonation. A depth of 2 cm, with the tube tip submerged in water, demonstrated the lowest amplification rate with or without phonation, compared to 4, 7, and 10 cm.Conclusions: The newly developed cup device for water resistance therapy was easy to give visual feedback according to changes in water level and helped to identify objectively by quantifying the performance of the target. This system may help clinicians and patients not only in clinical situations but also in practice at home during voice training.

Many patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show disturbances in their sleep/wake cycles, and may be particularly vulnerable to the impact of circadian disruptors. We have previously shown that exposure to dim light at night (DLaN) in contactin associated protein-like 2 knock out (Cntnap2 KO) mice disrupts diurnal rhythms, increases repetitive behaviors while reducing social interactions. These negative effects of DLaN may be mediated by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) expressing the photopigment melanopsin, which is maximally sensitive to blue light (480nm). In this study, we used a light-emitting diode (LED) array that enabled us to shift the spectral properties of the DLaN while keeping the intensity at 10 lx. First, using wild-type (WT) mice, we confirmed that the short-wavelength enriched lighting produced strong acute suppression of locomotor activity (masking), robust light-induced phase shifts, and c-Fos expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, while the long-wavelength enriched lighting evoked much weaker responses. Furthermore, exposure of WT mice to the short-wavelength light at night reduced the amplitude of locomotor activity rhythms and impaired social interactions. Mice lacking the melanopsin expressing ipRGCs (Opn4DTA mice) were resistant to these negative effects of DLaN. Importantly, the shift of the DLaN stimulus to longer wavelengths ameliorated the negative impact on the activity rhythms and autistic behaviors (i.e. reciprocal social interactions, repetitive grooming) of the Cntnap2 KO model. The short-, but not the long-wavelength enriched, DLaN triggered cFos expression in the peri-habenula region as well as in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Finally, DLaN-driven c-Fos induction in BLA glutamatergic neurons was about 3-fold higher in the Cntnap2 KO mice, suggesting that these cells may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of photic disruption. Broadly, our findings suggest that the spectral properties of light at night should be considered in the management of ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.