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Tetris May Reduce Post-Traumatic Flashbacks, Study Shows

Subjects who played Tetris shortly after viewing traumatic images had flashbacks cut roughly in half.

By Kat Bailey, 11/10/2010



Studies have already shown that Tetris changes the brain, but it may be good for people who suffer post-traumatic stress as well (via CNN).

The journal PLoS One has published a study that shows playing Tetris after a traumatic experience will protect against recurring flashbacks. The game apparently distracts the brain from the event and "short circuits" the storage of painful memories.

Apparently this effect is unique to visuo-spacial games as well. The study found that games relying on trivia and language skills don't have the same therapeutic effect.

"Verbal tasks may not be as effective because they will not affect the same neural networks," said Dr. Alexander Obolsky, M.D., who specializes in PTSD but was not involved in the study. "It's a different part of the brain that processes that information."

The study was confucted by having three groups watch traumatic images such as fatal car accidents. Afterward, one group was given Tetris, another was given a quiz game, and a third did nothing. Those who played Tetris had four flashbacks on average over the course of ten minutes, while those who did nothing had 12 flashbacks. Quiz game players had an average of six flashbacks, but actually experienced more flashbacks than the control group over the next week while the Tetris group experienced fewer than both groups.

The research group intends to conduct additional studies before recommending Tetris to those suffering PTSD though. According to Obolsky, "There are years before this may or may not have something to do with what I do in my office with my patients."

In the meantime, if you see something disgusting online, you may have a slightly more effective way to forget about it.


See Also


Comments (21)

  • Coffee_Elemental
  • Convenient

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  Coffee_Elemental

    I just picked it up for the original Game Boy in a pawn shop 2 days ago :D Im eager to get on with my new life with less traumatic flashbacks.

  • Obliviate
  • Hmm, time to fire up the ol' Gameboy

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  Obliviate

    Maybe I can finally wash Superman 64 from my brain.  *shudder*

    • GenesisDoes
    • That.....

      Posted: 11/11/2010 by  GenesisDoes

      WILL NEVER WASH AWAY... O____O

  • gamethink.org
  • Tetris DS

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  gamethink.org

    Yay. And I just started playing Tetris DS:

  • overstanding
  • In other words...need a moment?

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  overstanding

    play some Tetris...fuck a snickers lol

  • Ssnake
  • cool

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  Ssnake

    Wish I would have known earlier though, I saw a few traumatic videos about a year ago and I could have used some tetris. I was on youtube and happened accross joe rogan's reaction to 2 girls 1 cup, then as I was reading the comments people were saying "if you thought this was bad, so and so is horrible." Of course curiosity got the best of me and I ended up google searching some of them, needless to say I was traumatized for a few days and my mind kept on going back to those videos, one had an actual horrible murder and others were just masochistic atrocities......sigh, let me play some tetris, that shit is horrible.

  • Alain-Christian
  • This article is horrifying

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  Alain-Christian

    "The study was confucted by having three groups watch traumatic images such as fatal car accidents."

     

    No one else finds it disturbing that these people just had images of car crashes–FATAL car crashes–ready to go? Was this study confucted by Anonymous? I mean, what about the control group, those people have to live with this nightmare for the rest of their lives. It's like a cruel joke. Did they post the reaction videos on YouTube?

    But yeah, I might as well bookmark a random flash-based Tetris game now because my friends are the type that send me to see online horrors I wish I never knew existed.

    I need new friends.

     

    • Alain-Christian
    • On second thought

      Posted: 11/11/2010 by  Alain-Christian

      I bet Robot Unicorn Attack would be more effective and I already have it bookmarked on Facebook.

    • Ssnake
    • this is true

      Posted: 11/11/2010 by  Ssnake

      who the hell would agree to this?

    • halochief_90
    • Volunteers

      Posted: 11/11/2010 by  halochief_90

      What this article doesn't mention that the original does is that this study took volunteers. If you volunteer for something like this, you better be prepared to see tramatic images.

  • GISchmo
  • /agree

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  GISchmo

    Tetris helps get over daily stress too. 

  • SillyWalker55
  • Opiate of the Veterans

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  SillyWalker55

    What this study clearly fails to mention is the harrowing dreams of block on block congress, in all of the positions that one's filthy mind can imagine.

  • Lt.Groom
  • Oh really

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  Lt.Groom

    Wouldn't tetris just add new images and thought patterns to the part of your brain's que for long term memory.  Like it literally fills in those blocks and knocks them out.

     

    I'm pretty sure about any involved game would do this if done immediately afterwards.

  • quasar502
  • confucted

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  quasar502

    hahahahaha... good one!

    • ohJTBehaaave
    • Ha!

      Posted: 11/10/2010 by  ohJTBehaaave

      Confucted was a study that says playing Tetris after getting laid reduces stress.

  • hackmagnetking
  • awsome

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  hackmagnetking

    YAY!!!!! Video games have proven to be good once again!! (in some cases)  also lol'd at he word "confucted"  XD

  • smile_kill
  • yeah i get

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  smile_kill

    depression from playing ecco the dolphin so this should help thanks 1up

  • v-boi2002
  • Better late than never, I guess.

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  v-boi2002

    Welcome to 2009.

    http://www.suite101.com/content/playing-tetris-may-reduce-ptsd-flashbacks-a89186

  • HowFly
  • KushFu

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  HowFly

    Tetris has been the business
    I new that since I 1st seen it

  • Coarse_Limely
  • Heh...

    Posted: userComment.createdDate by  Coarse_Limely

    Since higher-level Tetris-playing can be pretty traumatic in an of itself, I'm not surprised. Tetris is just a viral ad for Tylenol. God I love that game.


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