Quantitative histological assessment was analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test after testing for normality.
Continuous data are reported as mean and standard error and were compared using unpaired Student's t test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test after testing for normal distribution (Shapiro-Wilk).
All correlations were evaluated with Pearson's test after testing responses for normality with the Kolgomorov-Smirnov test.
Early stage and advanced stage patients data were then compared by means of a two-sample t-test after testing for homogeneity of variance and normality.
The difference between means was tested with a non-paired Student's t-test after testing normality of distribution and equality in variances with Graph Pad Prism 4.02 for Windows.
Continuous outcome measures (NDI, VAS, SF36, sROM) will be analysed using an independent samples t-Test, after testing for normality.
Comparison of time to peak was carried out using a paired, 2-tailed Student t test after testing for normality using a Kolmogorov Smirnov test.
Comparison between copy number ratios before and after microdissection were analyzed by a paired-samples t-test after testing for normal distribution.
Post-test After testing in each condition was completed, listeners heard ten stimuli at 74 dB SPL without noise and without feedback.
Bivariate Analysis: We will examine basal comparability between the two groups using the chi-square test or Fisher's test (proportion comparison test), or by Student's t-test (mean comparison test after testing normal distribution).
