Tetris helpful in preventing PTSD

We've learned a lot in recent years about PTSD and the way that traumatic memories are consolidated in the neurological system. A new study indicates that playing the simple game Tetris shortly after a traumatic event prevents the formation of traumatic memories and subsequent post-trauma symptomology.

"Although we are developing a number of therapies for PTSD, the most effective ones, such as cognitive behavior therapy, are best suited for patients weeks or months post-trauma. And that's where Tetris comes in. A group of researchers at the University of Oxford have been looking at ways to limit the onset of the disorder, by interrupting the brain's memory processing immediately after a traumatic event.

Their work, published in PLoS ONE, builds off a pair of findings. First, the brain has limited resources, and secondly, work on memory consolidation suggests that there is a six-hour window within which disruption of that consolidation is possible. Put another way, there's only so much your brain can do at once, and if you distract it within that six-hour window, you can prevent the memory being fully formed.

Since PTSD flashbacks involve a strong visuospatial component, distracting those pathways from their trauma with another activity might be expected to interfere with the condition. And that's just what they discovered."

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