scholarly journals Development and usability of biofeedback system for water resistance therapy using sensor

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-112
Author(s):  
Seong Hee Choi ◽  
Geum Byeol Lim ◽  
Hye-Rim Chae ◽  
Jong-In Youn
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Water Resistance ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Tube Diameter ◽  
Voice Therapy ◽  
Biofeedback System ◽  
Amplification Rate ◽  
Biofeedback Device ◽  
Resistance Value

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.

scholarly journals Deployment and Dynamics of a Biofeedback System for Anxiety Awareness during Online Examination Activities

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 756
Author(s):  
Hippokratis Apostolidis ◽  
Georgia Papantoniou ◽  
Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Biofeedback System ◽  
Online Examination ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Biofeedback Device

The presented paper examines the deployment of a cost-effective biofeedback system that provides anxiety awareness during online examination activities. Human anxiety is classified by evaluating biosignals related to skin conductance, skin temperature, and heart rate. The first aim of this study is to check the presented system performance. Thus, we test the convergent validity of the system regarding self-report measures of anxiety. Moreover, the system is validated against a commercial tool of anxiety detection. Fifteen (15) postgraduate students took part in the relevant psychometric test. The convergent validity of the system is found to be satisfactory. The second aim of this study is to identify the participant’s personality dimensions according to Technology Readiness Index (TRI) which affects their academic performance and their real-time anxiety, as provided by the biofeedback device, during academic examinations. Thirty-five (35) postgraduate students, who were taking examinations in the form of synchronous online tests in the classroom for one of their lessons, took part in this stage of the research. The examined relationships are presented via a path model showing mainly that insecurity causes academic performance to decline, which in turn has a significant negative effect with increasing anxiety.

scholarly journals A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Voice Therapy Protocols

2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara R. Kapsner-Smith ◽  
Eric J. Hunter ◽  
Kimberly Kirkham ◽  
Karin Cox ◽  
Ingo R. Titze
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Voice Quality ◽  
Voice Handicap Index ◽  
Voice Therapy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Perceptual Evaluation ◽  
Therapy Program

PurposeAlthough there is a long history of use of semi-occluded vocal tract gestures in voice therapy, including phonation through thin tubes or straws, the efficacy of phonation through tubes has not been established. This study compares results from a therapy program on the basis of phonation through a flow-resistant tube (FRT) with Vocal Function Exercises (VFE), an established set of exercises that utilize oral semi-occlusions.MethodTwenty subjects (16 women, 4 men) with dysphonia and/or vocal fatigue were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions: (a) immediate FRT therapy, (b) immediate VFE therapy, (c) delayed FRT therapy, or (d) delayed VFE therapy. Subjects receiving delayed therapy served as a no-treatment control group.ResultsVoice Handicap Index (Jacobson et al., 1997) scores showed significant improvement for both treatment groups relative to the no-treatment group. Comparison of the effect sizes suggests FRT therapy is noninferior to VFE in terms of reduction in Voice Handicap Index scores. Significant reductions in Roughness on the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (Kempster, Gerratt, Verdolini Abbott, Barkmeier-Kraemer, & Hillman, 2009) were found for the FRT subjects, with no other significant voice quality findings.ConclusionsVFE and FRT therapy may improve voice quality of life in some individuals with dysphonia. FRT therapy was noninferior to VFE in improving voice quality of life in this study.

Effect of Voice Therapy Using Semioccluded Vocal Tract Exercises in Singers and Nonsingers With Dysphonia

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 963.e1-963.e9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mami Kaneko ◽  
Yoichiro Sugiyama ◽  
Shigeyuki Mukudai ◽  
Shigeru Hirano
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Voice Therapy

scholarly journals A Fast Semiautomatic Algorithm for Centerline-Based Vocal Tract Segmentation

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton A. Poznyakovskiy ◽  
Alexander Mainka ◽  
Ivan Platzek ◽  
Dirk Mürbe
Keyword(s):  
Major Part ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Active Contours ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Voice Therapy ◽  
Segmentation Method ◽  
Voice Production ◽  
Medical Issues ◽  
Dimensional Measurements ◽  
Spatial Geometry

Vocal tract morphology is an important factor in voice production. Its analysis has potential implications for educational matters as well as medical issues like voice therapy. The knowledge of the complex adjustments in the spatial geometry of the vocal tract during phonation is still limited. For a major part, this is due to difficulties in acquiring geometry data of the vocal tract in the process of voice production. In this study, a centerline-based segmentation method using active contours was introduced to extract the geometry data of the vocal tract obtained with MRI during sustained vowel phonation. The applied semiautomatic algorithm was found to be time- and interaction-efficient and allowed performing various three-dimensional measurements on the resulting model. The method is suitable for an improved detailed analysis of the vocal tract morphology during speech or singing which might give some insights into the underlying mechanical processes.

scholarly journals Young children do not require perceptual-motor feedback to solve Aesop’s Fable tasks

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Miller ◽  
Sarah A. Jelbert ◽  
Elsa Loissel ◽  
Alex H. Taylor ◽  
Nicola S. Clayton
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Forced Choice ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Current Experiment ◽  
Water Displacement ◽  
Tube Size ◽  
Causal Understanding ◽  
Object Properties

Aesop’s Fable tasks—in which subjects drop objects into a water-filled tube to raise the water level and obtain out-of-reach floating rewards —have been used to test for causal understanding of water displacement in both young children and non-human animals. However, a number of alternative explanations for success on these tasks have yet to be ruled out. One hypothesis is that subjects may respond to perceptual-motor feedback: repeating those actions that bring the reward incrementally closer. Here, we devised a novel, forced-choice version of the Aesop’s Fable task to assess whether subjects can solve water displacement tasks when this type of feedback is removed. Subjects had to select only one set of objects, or one type of tube, into which all objects were dropped at once, and the effect the objects had on the water level was visually concealed. In the current experiment, fifty-five 5–9 year old children were tested in six different conditions in which we either varied object properties (floating vs. sinking, hollow vs. solid, large vs. small and too large vs. small objects), the water level (high vs. low) and/or the tube size (narrow vs. wide). We found that children aged 8–9 years old were able to solve most of the water displacement tasks on their first trial, without any opportunity for feedback, suggesting that they mentally simulated the results of their actions before making a choice. Children aged 5–7 years solved two conditions on their first trial (large vs. small objects and high- vs. low-water levels), and learnt to solve most of the remaining conditions over five trials. The developmental pattern shown here is comparable to previous studies using the standard Aesop’s Fable task, where eight year olds are typically successful from their first trial and 5–7 year olds learn to pass over five trials. Thus, our results indicate that children do not depend on perceptual-motor feedback to solve these water displacement tasks. The forced-choice paradigm we describe could be used comparatively to test whether or not non-human animals require visual feedback to solve water displacement tasks.

Massed Versus Spaced Practice in Vocology: Effect of a Short-Term Intensive Voice Therapy Versus a Long-Term Traditional Voice Therapy

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 611-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Meerschman ◽  
Sofie Claeys ◽  
Kim Bettens ◽  
Laura Bruneel ◽  
Evelien D'haeseleer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Treatment ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Psychosocial Impact ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Voice Therapy ◽  
Individual Treatment ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Perceptual Evaluation ◽  
Session Attendance

PurposeThe aim of this study was to compare the effect of a short-term intensive voice therapy (IVT) with a long-term traditional voice therapy (TVT) on the vocal quality, vocal capacities, psychosocial impact, vocal tract discomfort, laryngological anatomy/physiology, and session attendance of patients with dysphonia. An additional comparison was made between an individual IVT (IVT-I) and a group IVT (IVT-G).MethodA longitudinal, prospective controlled trial was used. Forty-six adults diagnosed with dysphonia were assigned to 1 of the 3 treatment groups. The IVT groups practiced with a frequency of 1 hr 20 min a day and a duration of 2 weeks. The TVT group practiced with a frequency of two 30-min sessions a week and a duration of 6 months. Both therapy programs were content-identical and guided by the same voice therapist. A multidimensional voice assessment consisting of both objective (maximum performance task, aerodynamic measurements, voice range profile, acoustic analysis, multiparametric voice quality indices) and subjective (subject's self-report, auditory-perceptual evaluation, flexible videolaryngostroboscopy) outcomes was used to evaluate the participants' voice.ResultsIVT made an equal progress in only 2 weeks and 12 hr of therapy compared with TVT that needed 6 months and 24 hr of therapy. IVT-I and IVT-G showed comparable results. Session attendance was clearly higher in IVT compared with TVT. Long-term follow-up results (1 year) were positive for the 3 groups, except for the self-reported psychosocial impact that increased in the IVT-I group.ConclusionsShort-term IVT is at least equally effective in treating patients with dysphonia as long-term TVT. Group treatment seemed as effective as individual treatment. Attendance and cost-effectiveness are important advantages of IVT. A potential drawback might be an insufficient psychosocial progress. The golden mean between intensive and traditional treatment might therefore be an achievable, effective, and efficient solution for everyday clinical practice.Supplemental Materialhttps://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7761872

The Use of the Twang Technique in Voice Therapy

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 119-123
Author(s):  
Joanna Lott
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Voice Therapy ◽  
The Subject

Aryepiglottic narrowing is an important component in both resonant voice and twang therapy techniques. While resonant voice is considered a well-established standard in voice therapy, twang remains the subject of debate. The hesitation toward the use of twang therapy is unclear. Potential explanations include lack of familiarity and inadequate experience or training with the technique. Moreover, concerns have been raised that twang could be vocally injurious due to the required constriction within the vocal tract. There is evidence that twang therapy is an effective voice therapy tool. However, the appropriateness of its application has not yet been well-defined.

Using visual feedback to tune the second vocal tract resonance for singing in the high soprano range

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Marie Jeanneteau ◽  
Noel Hanna ◽  
André Almeida ◽  
John Smith ◽  
Joe Wolfe
Keyword(s):  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Vocal Tract Resonance

A Microcomputer-Based Wearable Biofeedback Device to Improve Transfer of Treatment in Parkinsonian Dysarthria

1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Rubow ◽  
Edie Swift
Keyword(s):  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Spontaneous Speech ◽  
Speech Disorders ◽  
Substantial Portion ◽  
Auditory Cues ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Vocal Intensity ◽  
Acoustic Analyses ◽  
Biofeedback Device ◽  
Almost All

Achieving transfer of treatment outside the clinic is a problem for almost all individuals with speech disorders but has been particularly difficult in the treatment of patients with Parkinsonism. Given this situation and the frequency of vocal intensity problems in this population, we developed a wearable biofeedback device that could provide a patient with information about speech intensity outside the clinic. Auditory-perceptual and acoustic analyses were performed on audiotaped samples of reading and spontaneous speech recorded in the clinic pre- and posttreatment and at 10- and 20-week follow-ups. Visual feedback of intensity was integrated with auditory cues from a microcomputer that was then worn outside the clinic. The results indicated that the subject did transfer a substantial portion of clinic improvement to the outside environment while wearing the feedback device and suggest the utility of a microcomputer-based wearable device for assessing treatment effects as well as for improving transfer.

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