About the Authors

Hidekane Yoshimura

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan

Satoshi Iwasaki

Affiliations Department of Hearing Implant Sciences, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital, Minatoku, Tokyo, Japan

Shin-ya Nishio

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan

Kozo Kumakawa

Affiliation Department of Otolaryngology, Okinaka Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Toranomon Hospital, Minatoku, Tokyo, Japan

Tetsuya Tono

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Miyazaki University School of Medicine, Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Yumiko Kobayashi

Affiliation Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Iwate, Japan

Hiroaki Sato

Affiliation Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Iwate, Japan

Kyoko Nagai

Affiliation Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan

Kotaro Ishikawa

Affiliation Department of Otolaryngology, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

Tetsuo Ikezono

Affiliation Department of Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University, Moroyama, Saitama, Japan

Yasushi Naito

Affiliation Department of Otolaryngology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Hyougo, Japan

Kunihiro Fukushima

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Okayama University Postgraduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama, Okayama, Japan

Chie Oshikawa

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

Takashi Kimitsuki

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kyushu Central Hospital, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

Hiroshi Nakanishi

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan

Shin-ichi Usami

usami@shinshu-u.ac.jp

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: HY SI SN SU. Performed the experiments: HY SN. Analyzed the data: HY SN SU. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: HY SI SN KK TT YK HS KN KI TI YN KF CO TK HN SU. Wrote the paper: HY SN SU.