Hearing Shapes: ERPs Reveal Changes in Perceptual Processing as a Result of Sensory Substitution Training

• Previous brain-imaging studies1,2 have suggested that auditory-visual sensory substitution training can lead to increased functional connectivity between visual processing areas (LOC) and the auditory cortex. • Due to the poor time resolution of fMRI, however, it is currently unknown whether sensory substitution is mediated by rapid (direct, automatic) interactions between auditory and visual areas or via slower indirect associative pathways. • Here, we examine electrophysiological (ERP) changes due to sensory substitution training when cross-modal information is task-relevant (Exp1) and task-irrelevant (Exp2).