Researchers say that occupying the brain with images from playingTetris, a popular 1980s video game, can reduce the frequency of traumatic memories. — AFP
As well as being entertaining, video games may also have healing properties.
According to a Swedish study, playing the popular game Tetris may help alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The benefits of a guided game session are said to persist for up to six months after treatment.
To reach this conclusion, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden worked with healthcare professionals who had worked with Covid-19 patients during the pandemic and who had been exposed to work-related trauma.
Conducted between September 2020 and April 2022, the study is published in the journal BMC Medicine.
A total of 164 people took part in this research, the aim of which was to reduce, or even eliminate, flashbacks – unpleasant memories that can arise in the form of mental images at any time following a traumatic event.
All participants reported having experienced work-related trauma and suffered from at least two intrusive memories of these events per week.
Participants were divided into two groups: one received a Tetris-based intervention, while the other, the control group, listened to a philosophy podcast.
The results revealed a striking contrast between the two groups: the healthcare professionals who played Tetris experienced a significant reduction in intrusive memories.
At the start of the study, participants were experiencing an average of 15 flashbacks per week.
After five weeks of treatment, these episodes were reduced to five for the control group and just one for the Tetris group.
At a check-up six months after treatment, the gaming group had half as many problems as the group who listened to podcasts.
According to the researchers, by occupying the brain with images, Tetris could reduce the frequency and vividness of traumatic memories.
"The treatment is based on what is known as mental rotation, which lies at the heart of Tetris.
"When you look at an object from one angle, you can imagine what it would look like if it were rotated to a different position and could be seen from a different angle," the researchers explain in a news release.
"It was surprising to us that the treatment method was so effective and that the improvement in symptoms lasted for six months.
"I realise that it may seem unlikely that such a short intervention, which includes video games but doesn’t include an in-depth discussion of trauma with a therapist, could help.
"But the study provides scientifically controlled evidence that a single guided digital treatment session can reduce the number of intrusive memories, and that it can be used safely by participants," explains Professor Emily Holmes of Uppsala University, who led the study.
"My vision is that one day we will be able to provide a tool for people such as healthcare professionals after traumatic events to help prevent and treat early PTSD symptoms, that is a 'cognitive vaccine', in a similar way that we currently vaccinate against some infectious physical diseases," the researcher concludes. – AFP Relaxnews
