Tetris To Combat Flashbacks?

Playing Tetris can erase bad memories, experts say.

20:22 22 July 2015

Tetris, a 30-year-old puzzle stacking game could help patients with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) to erase bad memories, say researchers from the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.

 

Based on the tests they’ve conducted, researchers found that patients playing the retro Nintendo game experienced less flashbacks of a traumatic event and that the visual game works by blocking bad memories.

 

Emily Holmes, lead author of the study, said: "This work is the first to our knowledge to show that a ‘simple cognitive blockade’ could reduce intrusive memories of experimental trauma via a memory reconsolidation processes.”

 

The study, which was published in the journal Psychological Science, Tetris and similar puzzle games help patients manage flashbacks while attempting to repair the damage.

 

"Our findings suggest that, although people may wish to forget traumatic memories, they may benefit from bringing them back to mind, at least under certain conditions – those which render them less intrusive," said Holmes.

 

The researchers are now testing the theory in hospital emergency rooms helping patients involved in car accidents and other traumatic experiences.