Buzz
Survivors of car accidents often find themselves haunted by disturbing memories. However, these intrusive thoughts, a key aspect of post-traumatic stress disorder, may be preventable. According to a recent study, playing Tetris shortly after the accident could be a solution.
Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have been exploring this concept for some time, often by showing traumatic videos to participants. Their findings suggest that playing Tetris after a distressing experience can help retrain the brain to prevent flashbacks. This latest research brings this theory closer to real-world application, specifically for car accident survivors.
In the study, car accident victims and witnesses were asked to recall their traumatic experiences and then play Tetris on a Nintendo DS XL for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, a control group spent the same amount of time writing about their emergency room experiences. The Tetris players reported fewer intrusive memories in the week following the test, as detailed in a report published in Molecular Psychiatry.
The potential effectiveness of Tetris lies in its ability to disrupt the visual aspect of flashbacks. While victims often relive events in their minds or focus on specific details like blood, Tetris doesn’t erase the memory itself. This allows individuals to later discuss the event with a therapist or insurance company without losing crucial details.
In an earlier study, the same researchers discovered that playing a quiz game actually made flashbacks worse compared to not playing any game at all. They believe this occurred because the game interfered with memory without altering the visual images associated with the trauma.
While other visual games, such as Candy Crush, could potentially have a similar effect as Tetris, the research to date has focused specifically on Tetris. Nonetheless, given that video games have also been shown to help with pain, it might be a good idea to consider one in situations like this.
