經(jīng)歷過災(zāi)難的人往往出現(xiàn)一些精神問題，如常常不由自主地回想起災(zāi)難場面,。英國的一項(xiàng)研究顯示，玩“俄羅斯方塊”游戲可能有助于緩解這種精神問題,，因?yàn)檫@種游戲畫面會與災(zāi)難畫面競爭大腦資源,，從而抑制災(zāi)難事件的影響。
英國牛津大學(xué)的研究人員在新一期美國《科學(xué)公共圖書館綜合卷》上報告說,，他們請數(shù)十名健康志愿者觀看災(zāi)難影片,，其中有車禍等血腥場面，這種體驗(yàn)可模擬實(shí)際經(jīng)歷災(zāi)難的感受,。此后,，受試者被分為三組，一組玩“俄羅斯方塊”,，另一組玩一種文字游戲,，還有一組什么也不做。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn),，隨后一周內(nèi),，在玩“俄羅斯方塊”的一組受試者中，大腦不由自主閃現(xiàn)災(zāi)難場面的次數(shù)明顯比另外兩組受試者少,。
玩文字游戲的一組受試者則出現(xiàn)相反情況,，他們不由自主回憶災(zāi)難場面的次數(shù)比什么也不做的對照組還要多。
領(lǐng)導(dǎo)這項(xiàng)研究的艾米麗·霍姆斯博士說,，研究小組得到的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,，受試者在災(zāi)難事件后4小時內(nèi)玩“俄羅斯方塊”，就有可能獲得“緩解”效果,，但這種“緩解”并非“俄羅斯方塊”組成員對災(zāi)難的記憶減弱所致,，受試者仍能主動回憶起災(zāi)難細(xì)節(jié)。
研究人員認(rèn)為,，這是因?yàn)槿说拇竽X有兩種處理信息的方式,，一個是直觀的，與聲音,、圖像等有關(guān),，而另一個是更理性化的，將事件意義抽象剝離出來并整合進(jìn)記憶背景中,。通常這兩種方式是平衡的,，但在災(zāi)難發(fā)生時,，直觀方式常常壓過理性方式，比如車禍當(dāng)事人往往只記得當(dāng)時有閃光和剎車聲,，而難以梳理整個事件的前因后果,。直觀記憶的這種優(yōu)勢便是出現(xiàn)相關(guān)精神問題的原因之一。
如果在災(zāi)后玩“俄羅斯方塊”這種同時處理圖像和聲音信息的游戲,，相關(guān)信息會占用大腦中處理直觀信息的資源,，從而抑制災(zāi)難對大腦的影響。但如果玩的是文字游戲,，該游戲內(nèi)容就會占用大腦中處理抽象信息的資源,，抑制關(guān)于災(zāi)難的抽象記憶，使得直觀記憶和抽象記憶更加不平衡,，從而使某些精神問題更加惡化,。研究人員表示，希望能在上述發(fā)現(xiàn)的基礎(chǔ)上找到幫助緩解災(zāi)后精神問題的更多方法,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦英文摘要：
PLoS ONE 5(11): e13706. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0013706
Key Steps in Developing a Cognitive Vaccine against Traumatic Flashbacks: Visuospatial Tetris versus Verbal Pub Quiz
Emily A. Holmes*, Ella L. James, Emma J. Kilford, Catherine Deeprose
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Background
Flashbacks (intrusive memories of a traumatic event) are the hallmark feature of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, however preventative interventions are lacking. Tetris may offer a ‘cognitive vaccine’ [1] against flashback development after trauma exposure. We previously reported that playing the computer game Tetris soon after viewing traumatic material reduced flashbacks compared to no-task [1]. However, two criticisms need to be addressed for clinical translation: (1) Would all games have this effect via distraction/enjoyment, or might some games even be harmful? (2) Would effects be found if administered several hours post-trauma? Accordingly, we tested Tetris versus an alternative computer game – Pub Quiz – which we hypothesized not to be helpful (Experiments 1 and 2), and extended the intervention interval to 4 hours (Experiment 2).
Methodology/Principal Findings
The trauma film paradigm was used as an experimental analog for flashback development in healthy volunteers. In both experiments, participants viewed traumatic film footage of death and injury before completing one of the following: (1) no-task control condition (2) Tetris or (3) Pub Quiz. Flashbacks were monitored for 1 week. Experiment 1: 30 min after the traumatic film, playing Tetris led to a significant reduction in flashbacks compared to no-task control, whereas Pub Quiz led to a significant increase in flashbacks. Experiment 2: 4 hours post-film, playing Tetris led to a significant reduction in flashbacks compared to no-task control, whereas Pub Quiz did not.
Conclusions/Significance
First, computer games can have differential effects post-trauma, as predicted by a cognitive science formulation of trauma memory. In both Experiments, playing Tetris post-trauma film reduced flashbacks. Pub Quiz did not have this effect, even increasing flashbacks in Experiment 1. Thus not all computer games are beneficial or merely distracting post-trauma - some may be harmful. Second, the beneficial effects of Tetris are retained at 4 hours post-trauma. Clinically, this delivers a feasible time-window to administer a post-trauma “cognitive vaccine”.
