Tetris helps reduce post-traumatic stress

By Oli Welsh Published 7 January, 2009

If only they'd had Game Boys in the trenches.

The BBC is reporting on a bizarre experiment at Oxford University which suggests that playing Tetris can help reduce the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Volunteers in the experiment were shown upsetting images - and then some of them were given Tetris to play half an hour later.

According to the PLoS One journal, the researchers found that Tetris players had fewer flashbacks, and theorised that playing the game disrupted the formation of memories. Or maybe all they could see was falling blocks.

"We wanted to find a way to dampen down flashbacks - the raw sensory images of trauma that are over-represented in the memories of those with PTSD," said Dr Emily Holmes.

"Tetris may work by competing for the brain's resources for sensory information."

Professor David Alexander from the Aberdeen Centre for Trauma Research begged to differ.

"It is ethically impossible to simulate an event which is so catastrophic as the type of incident which can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder," he said, noting that post-traumatic stress is usually only detected weeks after an event, not half an hour afterwards.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (9) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DFawkes #1 3 years ago

    "Come on boys, over the top!"
    "Fuck you, I'm on Mode B Level 9 Height 5, with one line to go. I don't even know what a Space Shuttle is since it hasn't been invented, but I have to see it."

    Good to see a positive games report, though it's still a violent game (check out Awesome Teris by Egoraptor on NewGrounds for why)


    Edited by 1 at 07/01/09 @ 09:11

  • YourMessageHere #2 3 years ago

    Surely this is a technological spin on common knowledge, i.e. performing a repetitive task can help you divert your concentration from bad stuff - we call it a displacement activity, yes? Hence (unless I'm much mistaken) the term 'basket case' - someone whose mind was so messed up they are taught by a mental hospital to weave baskets as a displacement activity to distract their concentration from unhappy memories. Nice, I suppose, that they are essentially saying that games can do good things, but the subtext arguably appears to be that Tetris is somewhat like a sedative in mental effect.

  • Eraysor #3 3 years ago

    I think if Tetris can make people forget bad experiences pretty much anything fun can.

  • b00n #4 3 years ago

    I like professor Alexander, he doesn't talk bs.

  • MattyD #5 3 years ago

    I don't know about post-traumatic stress but Tetris definitely gives me flashbacks. I see after-images of the blocks when I blink after playing FFS!

  • Matfink #6 3 years ago

    Last sentence FTW!

  • quantumsheep #7 3 years ago

    I bloody love Tetris - my favourite game of all time!

    /wonders what that means in the real world...

  • jonthepymm #8 3 years ago

    I've been playing computer games for 25 years. Does this article explain why I have such a poor memory?

  • scouserfuller9 #9 3 years ago

    @jonthepymm - With how poor mine is and the amount I've played Tetris down the years you're probably spot on!

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