Mirror Neuron System

The mirror neuron system is a network of brain regions that activate both when a person performs an action and when they observe another person performing the same action. It is implicated in motor simulation, action understanding, and learning by imitation. Neuroscientific studies suggest the mirror system remains functionally active in congenitally blind individuals even without visual observation, enabling action simulation through tactile and auditory channels. This cross-modal recruitment underpins the feasibility of electrotactile and haptic substitution systems that teach motor behaviours (e.g., grasping) to blind users by routing spatial information through non-visual sensory pathways.