Traumatised? Tetris could help relieve impact of traumatic memories, say scientists

Ever been told that computer games are bad for your health? Well, that could be very wrong, according to new research being carried out at Oxford University, where the computer game Tetris is being used to help reduce the impact of negative memories.

It may sound outlandish, but scientists researching into the area of memory - in particular unpleasant or traumatic memories - have discovered that computer games like Tetris may help disrupt the formation of memories of negative events.

Researchers believe that it takes around six hours after a traumatic event for a memory to be fully formed; and are studying ways of disrupting the formation of those negative memories. Dr Emily Holmes is studying Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at Oxford University's Institute of Psychiatry, and has experimented with using Tetris to interfere with volunteer patients' ability to form memories of negative events. Compared with a control group, the patients who played Tetris were found to have less flashbacks, and less vivid and disturbing memories.

It's believed that playing games like Tetris uses many of the areas of the brain also associated with creating memories - areas responsible for visual processing and coordinating thoughts and actions. And although the moral and ethical questions surrounding altering human memories are not insignificant, scientists hope to use the findings to help prevent significant traumas from causing ongoing psychological damage.