Brain can ‘see’ objects by ‘listening'!

Our brain has the ability to determine the shape of an object simply by processing specially-coded sounds, without any visual or tactile input. Don’t get surprised. Scientists at The Montreal Neurological Institute and McGill University have discovered this recently.  The research provides important new possibilities for aiding those who are blind or with impaired vision.

This means that our brains can be trained to recognize shapes represented by sound and the hope is that those with impaired vision could be trained to use this as a tool.
Following training, the study individuals were able to match auditory input to tactually discerned shapes and showed generalization to new auditory-tactile or sound-touch pairings. Neuroimaging studies have identified brain areas that integrate information coming from different senses – combining input from across the senses to create a complete and comprehensive picture.
Let’s hope for the best. This may write new chapters in the life of hearing impaired people.