A study shows that playing Tetris after a traumatic event may reduce the frequency of intrusive memories.
According to the study, playing Tetris up to 6 hours after a traumatic event, for 20 minutes, may reduce the frequency and formation of painful and persistent memories.
Scientists from the United Kingdom and Sweden researched the positive effects that the game created in 1985 by Soviet engineer Alexey Pajitnov could have in preventing memories formed after a car accident.
First published in 2017, the results of this research show that the movement of the eyes during a game of Tetris may help prevent traumatic events from becoming deeply rooted in memory.
The team of psychologist Emily Holmes, professor of psychology at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, observed 71 patients who presented at the John Radcliffe Hospital A&E in Oxford, England, after a car accident.
One part of the group was randomly selected to play Tetris for 20 minutes, while the other part was asked to complete a report about what they had felt since arriving at the hospital.
The patients who played Tetris experienced 62% fewer intrusive memories in the first week after their accidents, and their negative memories also decreased more quickly compared to the other group.
On the website of the British university, Holmes explained how Tetris can be an ally in treating people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): “Since the game requires a lot of visual attention, we wanted to see if it was possible to prevent the fixation of traumatic memories by interrupting the consolidation process in the brain.”
Although the study has a relatively small scope, the scientists behind it believe the results are positive enough to justify a larger follow-up study on the positive effects of Tetris on trauma.
“More research is definitely needed to develop this approach,” said Holmes; “But we are encouraged. And we need to develop preventive interventions that can be applied right after trauma to prevent the buildup of symptoms.”
