Tetris disrupts memories, could reduce trauma

Who'd have thought that smash-hit time-waster Tetris could be a possible treatment for anxiety disorders?

Researchers at Oxford University, the BBC reports, that's who. They exposed volunteers to traumatic experiences, then made some of them play Tetris half an hour later.

The group who played Tetris suffered fewer "flashbacks" -- vivid, involuntary recollections of unpleasant experiences -- than the control group. Flashbacks are common symptoms of anxiety conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"We wanted to find a way to dampen down flashbacks," researcher Dr. Emily Holmes told the BBC. "Tetris may work by competing for the brain's resources for sensory information."

Given the amount of Tetris we've played over the years, we ought to be immune by now.

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