When you picture trauma therapy, you likely envision a quiet room, deep conversations, or perhaps specialized treatments like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). You probably don’t picture brightly colored geometric blocks falling down a screen.
Yet, the landscape of trauma recovery is constantly evolving. In recent years, neuroscientists and psychologists have begun exploring a fascinating, out-of-the-box intervention for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Tetris.
Trauma, Therapy, and… Tetris? How a Classic Video Game is Changing PTSD Treatment
A groundbreaking 2020 study published in the Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience investigated what happens when you combine standard trauma therapy with this classic video game. The results offer incredible insight into how our brains process trauma and, more importantly, how they can physically heal.
Here is a closer look at the science of memory, the brain-building power of video games, and what this means for the future of trauma recovery.
The "Save Button" of Traumatic Memories
To understand why a video game could help heal PTSD, we first have to understand how the brain handles memories.
When you experience a traumatic event, your brain has to encode that memory and file it away into long-term storage, a process called consolidation. However, memories aren't perfectly permanent files. When you recall a memory (such as during a therapy session), the memory temporarily enters an unstable, "labile" state. To be stored away again, the brain has to re-save it, a process known as reconsolidation.
During reconsolidation, the memory is highly vulnerable to interference. Because trauma memories are highly visual and emotional, they require a massive amount of the brain's cognitive resources to re-save.
The Visuospatial Hijack
This is where Tetris comes in. Tetris is a highly demanding "visuospatial" task. It requires intense focus, visual processing, and spatial awareness to rotate and place the falling blocks.
Researchers hypothesized that if a patient played a highly visual game like Tetris shortly after recalling a traumatic memory in therapy, the game would essentially "hijack" the brain's visual processing resources. With the brain's bandwidth totally occupied by falling blocks, the vivid, intrusive visual elements of the traumatic memory wouldn't have enough cognitive resources to properly reconsolidate. Ultimately, the memory is re-saved, but with its sharp, painful emotional edges blunted.
The Study: Rebuilding the Brain's Memory Center
In the 2020 study conducted by Butler and colleagues, researchers tested this theory on male patients suffering from combat-related PTSD.
All of the participants underwent EMDR therapy, a gold-standard trauma treatment that helps patients process traumatic memories. However, the researchers split the participants into two groups:
The Control Group: Received standard EMDR therapy.
The Tetris Group: Received standard EMDR therapy, but were also instructed to play 60 minutes of Tetris every day (specifically within the six hours following their therapy sessions).
The researchers utilized MRI scans to look at the participants' brains before and after the 6-week treatment. They were specifically looking at the hippocampus, which is the brain's memory and emotion-processing center. In people with chronic PTSD, the hippocampus often shrinks in volume due to the toxic effects of chronic stress.
The Results: Following the therapy, the group that played Tetris showed a significant physical increase in their hippocampal volume, whereas the control group did not. Furthermore, the patients whose brains grew the most from playing Tetris also experienced the greatest reductions in PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms six months later.
What This Means for Trauma Survivors
While this specific study focused on combat veterans, the core takeaway applies to anyone navigating trauma recovery: Neuroplasticity is real. Your brain is not permanently damaged by trauma; it is highly adaptable, capable of structural growth, and primed for healing when given the right tools.
This research also highlights how recovery doesn't have to be entirely painful. Healing can incorporate novel, engaging, and highly accessible tools, like a video game, to support the heavy lifting you do in therapy.
Healing from Home
One of the most beautiful aspects of modern trauma therapy is its accessibility. You no longer have to commute to a clinical office to receive top-tier trauma care. EMDR and trauma-focused therapies can be incredibly effective when administered via telehealth, allowing you to process difficult memories from the safety and comfort of your own couch.
And, as the research shows, the work doesn't stop when you log off the video call. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your brain after a heavy therapy session is to grab a cozy blanket, make a cup of tea, and play a game of Tetris.
If you are struggling with intrusive memories or the lingering effects of trauma, our telehealth practice is here to help. Reach out today to connect with a trauma-informed therapist who can help you build a holistic, science-backed recovery plan.
References
Butler, O., Herr, K., Willmund, G., Gallinat, J., Kühn, S., & Zimmermann, P. (2020). Trauma, treatment and Tetris: video gaming increases hippocampal volume in male patients with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, 45(4), 279–287. https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.190027
Holmes, E. A., James, E. L., Kilford, E. J., & Deeprose, C. (2010). Key steps in developing a cognitive vaccine against traumatic flashbacks: visuospatial Tetris versus verbal pub quiz. PLoS One, 5(11), e13706. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0013706
James, E. L., Bonsall, M. B., Hoppitt, L., Tunbridge, E. M., Geddes, J. R., Milton, A. L., & Holmes, E. A. (2015). Computer game play reduces intrusive memories of experimental trauma via reconsolidation-update mechanisms. Psychological Science, 26(8), 1201-1215.https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615583071
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