Tetris Gameplay May Lessen Emotional Wounds' Severity According to Research Findings
In a groundbreaking study conducted by the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in the UK, researchers have discovered a potential new method for reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The surprising solution? Playing the classic game Tetris.
The study, published in Psychological Science, involved volunteers being exposed to films containing traumatic content. Twenty-four hours later, some of these volunteers were asked to play Tetris. The results showed that these individuals experienced significantly fewer flashbacks compared to a control group.
The research team, led by Dr. Emily Holmes from the University of Cambridge, theorizes that Tetris works so effectively because it creates what they term a "cognitive blockade." The game demands intense visual-spatial processing, preventing the brain from simultaneously reinforcing the visual components of traumatic memories during the reconsolidation process.
Memories aren't static files stored permanently in our brains; each time we recall a memory, it enters a temporarily unstable state before being "reconsolidated" - essentially rewritten back into storage. By engaging in a visually demanding task like Tetris during this reconsolidation window, the brain simply doesn't have enough visual processing capacity to fully reinforce the traumatic imagery.
This effect is observed when Tetris is played within 24 hours of recalling traumatic memories, a far more practical timeframe for real-world application compared to traditional therapies. The combination of memory reactivation and Tetris proved essential for this effect; neither Tetris nor memory reactivation alone showed the same results.
The study offers hope that simple, accessible interventions might reduce suffering and prevent long-term psychological damage. First responders, emergency departments, and crisis centers could potentially offer this simple intervention within the critical 24-hour window. Other visually demanding games might work similarly, provided they engage visual-spatial processing intensely enough to compete with traumatic imagery for brain resources during the reconsolidation process.
The idea of "cognitive vaccines" - preventative measures that can be administered shortly after trauma to prevent psychological complications - represents a paradigm shift in mental health care. The research challenges our fundamental understanding of memory processing, suggesting deliberately recalling the memory under controlled conditions then disrupting its reconsolidation through competitive visual tasks might be more beneficial.
The researchers are optimistic about practical applications, exploring how this approach might be implemented in emergency settings. The goal isn't memory erasure but rather changing how memories manifest in daily life - making them less intrusive, less disruptive, and ultimately less damaging to mental health.
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