How can a mouthpiece with electrodes allow deaf people to receive sound information through the tongue?

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neuroplasticity The fundamental cell of the nervous system is the neuron. Neurons in a human brain are shown here.

The premise that a mouthpiece with electrodes allows deaf people to "hear" through their tongue is a form of sensory substitution, not a direct restoration of auditory function. This technology relies on the brain's capacity for neuroplasticity, specifically cross-modal plasticity.

In this process, the brain demonstrates its ability to reorganize and reroute sensory information. Just as pioneering research showed that blind individuals could "see" through vibrations on their backs, deaf individuals can use a mouthpiece equipped with electrodes to receive sound information. The device converts sound into electrical signals that stimulate the tongue. Through practice, the brain learns to interpret these somatosensory (touch) signals as meaningful patterns, effectively substituting the missing auditory input with tactile data. This highlights the brain's remarkable flexibility in integrating input from different sensory systems to compensate for a deficit.1