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Teller -- September 20, 2024 Tetris Game Shows Promise in Reducing PTSD Symptoms Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels * Share on Facebook * Tweet this Story The 1980s video game proves to make a notable difference with intrusive memories. --------------------------------------------------------------------- A recent study led by researchers at Uppsala University has uncovered promising results for a simple yet effective intervention in alleviating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research, published in BMC Medicine, focuses on the use of video games, particularly the well-known Tetris game that has been around for decades, to help reduce intrusive memories, a core and sometimes debilitating symptom of the condition. PTSD is often marked by intrusive, distressing memories or flashbacks, where individuals vividly recall traumatic events as if reliving them. These flashbacks can be debilitating, affecting a person's overall mental health, sleep, concentration, and ability to engage in daily activities. Traditionally, treatments for PTSD involve therapy sessions, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or exposure therapy, often requiring multiple appointments with a trained clinician. However, this new research introduces a simpler, much less pricey intervention that individuals can easily access at home. The study involved healthcare workers who had been exposed to traumatic stress while working on the frontlines during the COVID pandemic. The researchers were particularly interested in how a single session of guided treatment, including the game Tetris, could substantially reduce the frequency and severity of flashbacks. Emily Holmes, a professor at Uppsala University and leader of the study, expressed optimism about the findings, stating, "It is possible to reduce the frequency of unpleasant and intrusive memories of trauma, and thereby also alleviate other PTSD symptoms. With just one guided treatment session, we saw positive effects that persisted after five weeks and even six months after treatment." Tetris Game Shows Promise in Reducing PTSD SymptomsPhoto by Ron Lach from Pexels The Tetris-based treatment leverages a concept known as "mental rotation," a cognitive task central to the gameplay of Tetris. In the game, players must mentally rotate and manipulate different-shaped blocks to fit them into a grid. The visual engagement and mental task of manipulating these shapes require significant cognitive resources, which, according to Holmes and her colleagues, "can disrupt the brain's ability to replay intrusive memories. This distraction prevents the trauma-related flashbacks from becoming deeply ingrained." To test their theory, the researchers recruited 164 participants. All of them were healthcare professionals who had been exposed to traumatic experiences during the pandemic. The participants were divided into two groups. Both groups were asked to monitor their intrusive memories for one week, noting the frequency of flashbacks. Afterward, one group was asked to engage in a visual task--playing Tetris--while the control group participated in a non-visual task, such as listening to the radio. The results were striking. At the beginning of the study, participants experienced an average of 15 flashbacks per week. Five weeks after the intervention, those in the control group, who had not engaged in the visual task, still experienced about five flashbacks per week. In contrast, the group that played Tetris game reported an average of just one flashback per week. Even more surprising, the benefits of the treatment persisted for months. Six months later, the group that played Tetris continued to show a significant reduction in the overall severity of PTSD symptoms. In contrast, the control group saw less improvement. The effectiveness of the Tetris intervention was measured using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), a widely recognized tool for assessing PTSD symptoms. The Tetris group showed almost half the PTSD symptoms compared to the control group. This result points to the potential of such a brief intervention as a valuable tool for early treatment. The study also introduced the concept of a "cognitive vaccine," a tool that could be used in the aftermath of trauma to prevent the onset of more severe PTSD symptoms. Much like how vaccines are used to prevent physical diseases, Holmes envisions a future where mental health tools, like the Tetris-based intervention, could be administered after traumatic events to prevent the development of PTSD. This easy, innovative approach offers new hope for individuals struggling with PTSD, suggesting that even brief, targeted interventions can offer meaningful and lasting improvements. Sources: A guided single session intervention to reduce intrusive memories of work-related trauma: a randomised controlled trial with healthcare workers in the COVID-19 pandemic Study shows video games can alleviate PTSD flashbacks Join the conversation! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Trending * Blog vs YouTube Over Other Websites: How to Choose * Investigation Reveals Goodyear's Dunlop D402 Tires Have Caused Dozens of Motorcycle Accidents * Behind the Story of Ghostbed vs. Purple Mattress Lawsuit * How Green Are Those New Cassava Bags? * Settlement Agreement Could Help Keep Mentally Ill Out of Washington Jails [8fa24edaef0f2bb562059e309526d5ff] About Sara E. Teller Sara is a credited freelance writer, editor, contributor, and essayist, as well as a novelist and poet with nearly twenty years of experience. A seasoned publishing professional, she's worked for newspapers, magazines and book publishers in content digitization, editorial, acquisitions and intellectual property. Sara has been an invited speaker at a Careers in Publishing & Authorship event at Michigan State University and a Reading and Writing Instructor at Sylvan Learning Center. She has an MBA degree with a concentration in Marketing and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, graduating with a 4.2/4.0 GPA. She is also a member of Chi Sigma Iota and a 2020 recipient of the Donald D. Davis scholarship recognizing social responsibility. Sara is certified in children's book writing, HTML coding and social media marketing. Her fifth book, PTSD: Healing from the Inside Out, was released in September 2019 and is available on Amazon. You can find her others books there, too, including Narcissistic Abuse: A Survival Guide, released in December 2017. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Read more articles by Sara E. Teller Post navigation --------------------------------------------------------------------- Breastfeeding Helps an Infant's Respiratory, Gut Health BMC MedicineCognitive behavioral therapyexposure therapygamegames intrusive memoriesintrusive thoughtspromisepromisingPTSDPTSD symptoms symptomsymptomsTetristraumatic eventsUppsala Universityvideovideo gamesvintage --------------------------------------------------------------------- Legal News, Analysis, & Commentary --------------------------------------------------------------------- About Legal Reader Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harm's way. 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