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Play Tetris, Banish Bad Memories
19 Feb
Summary
- Playing Tetris significantly reduced trauma flashbacks in health workers.
- The imagery competing task intervention (ICTI) uses visuospatial brain areas.
- 70% reported no intrusive memories after six months post-treatment.
A novel approach to mitigating distressing memories following trauma involves playing the classic video game Tetris. Researchers have indicated that health workers participating in a trial experienced a notable reduction in flashbacks after engaging with the puzzle game.
This intervention, known as imagery competing task intervention (ICTI), was tested on 99 NHS staff members exposed to traumatic events during the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants briefly recalled a traumatic memory while visualizing the Tetris grid and its falling blocks. This process is thought to weaken the vividness of intrusive memories by occupying the brain's visuospatial areas.
The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found that those receiving ICTI had ten times fewer flashbacks within four weeks compared to control groups. After six months, an impressive 70% reported no intrusive memories at all, also showing improvements in PTSD symptoms.
Experts describe the method as accessible, scalable, and adaptable, with plans to expand testing to broader populations. This breakthrough offers a gentle, brief, and practical tool that does not require individuals to put their trauma into words, potentially transcending language barriers.
