From Trauma to Tetris: How Neuroplasticity Rewires Memories

"Traumatic memories are often stored as vivid sensory images, not coherent stories. Visuospatial tasks like Tetris may reduce the intensity of traumatic imagery. Neural plasticity shows the brain can reshape how trauma is processed. Especially for women under chronic stress, these cognitive tools offer practical agency."

"Women navigate collective human traumas like COVID-19 and global warming, while managing anticipatory stress surrounding abortion rights, bodily autonomy, and decisions being made about general health and safety. Simultaneously, they heal from profound personal traumas that seem to stick with them no matter how many healing journeys they embark on."

Traumatic memories are typically stored as vivid sensory images rather than coherent narratives, making them difficult to process through traditional talk therapy. Research indicates that visuospatial cognitive tasks like Tetris may reduce the intensity of traumatic imagery by competing for the brain's visual processing resources. This approach leverages neural plasticity—the brain's capacity to reshape how trauma is processed. For women experiencing chronic stress from multiple sources including caregiving responsibilities, political uncertainty, and personal trauma, these cognitive tools provide practical agency and control. The intersection of external stressors and internal trauma processing creates particular challenges, making accessible interventions like gaming especially valuable for mental health management.

Read at Psychology Today