PTSD symptoms can be reduced with just one treatment session that includes Tetris, new study finds

A single treatment session, which includes the video game Tetris, can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study of healthcare professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown. The study is led by researchers at Uppsala University and is published in BMC Medicine.

“It is possible to reduce the frequency of unpleasant and intrusive memories of trauma, and thus also alleviate other symptoms of PTSD. With just one guided treatment session, we saw positive effects that persisted after five weeks and even six months after treatment.

“Trauma can affect anyone. If this effect can be achieved with an everyday tool like video games, it could be an accessible way to help many people,” says Emily Holmes, a professor at Uppsala University who led the study.

The hallmark symptom of PTSD is the presence of unpleasant and intrusive memories of a traumatic event in the form of mental images, commonly called flashbacks. Other symptoms may include avoidance, excessive tension, and problems such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating.

Holmes and his colleagues have long studied ways to prevent PTSD. In the current study, the researchers focused on eliminating flashbacks. By replacing intrusive memories with a visual task, other symptoms of PTSD may also be reduced.

Mental rotation with Tetris

The processing is based on what is called mental rotation, which is at the heart of Tetris. When you look at an object from one angle, you can imagine what it would look like if it were rotated to a different position and could be viewed from a different angle.

The study involved 164 participants. All monitored their intrusive memories of trauma for a week. After that, they were randomized to one of two conditions. Half the group was asked to play Tetris with mental rotation. The other half, the control group, had to perform a non-visual task: listening to the radio.

All participants kept a flashback diary. At the start of the study, participants had an average of 15 flashbacks per week. After five weeks of follow-up, participants in the control group had an average of five episodes per week, but those in the game group had an average of only one.

At a six-month follow-up after treatment, participants in the gaming group had less severe PTSD symptoms. When assessed using a well-known questionnaire (PCL-5) often used to assess all PTSD symptoms, the gaming group had about half as many problems as the control group.

“We were surprised to find that the treatment method was so effective and that the improvement in symptoms lasted for six months. I realize that it may seem unlikely that such a short intervention, which includes video games but does not include an in-depth discussion of the trauma with a therapist, could help.

“But the study provides scientifically controlled evidence that a single guided digital processing session can reduce the number of intrusive memories, and that it can be used safely by participants,” she continues.

“My vision is that one day we will be able to provide a tool to people, such as health care professionals, after traumatic events to help prevent and treat the early symptoms of PTSD, a ‘cognitive vaccine,’ in the same way that we currently vaccinate against some infectious physical diseases,” Holmes says.