Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Study Suggests Tetris May Help PTSD Victims
Tetris isn't just the most addictive game on the planet; according to one study, it may help victims of traumatic events stave off recurring flashbacks.
As reported by CNN, a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE suggests that playing Tetris shortly after a traumatic experience may prevent the victim from having flashbacks of the incident, by distracting the brain and disrupting how the images are stored in the mind.
The Oxford researchers came to this conclusion by studying test subjects who were exposed to disturbing imagery, then asked to play Tetris, a trivia game, or do nothing at all. The subjects who played Tetris had fewer flashbacks than the other two groups, leading the researchers to conclude that "A visuospatial task such as Tetris may offer a 'cognitive vaccine' against the development of PTSD flashbacks after exposure to traumatic events." Additional studies are in the planning stages.
This could be a great advancement for treating PTSD, but I only have one question: What if disturbing Tetris imagery is what traumatized you in the first place:
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
