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Tetris is not only a widely used entertaining computer game, but has been used as a component in emerging psychological interventions targeting dysfunctional mental imagery, e.g., intrusive memories and imagery-based cravings. However, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these interventions. Tetris gameplay has been hypothesized to disrupt dysfunctional mental imagery (e.g., imagery-based intrusive memories of adverse events) and cravings (e.g., substance use) by taxing visuospatial working memory. In line with this, the present study aimed to characterize brain areas involved in the visuospatial aspects of Tetris gameplay, by controlling for motor activity (button presses) and using gameplay instructions emphasizing mental rotation. Participants (N = 28) received mental rotation instructions and thereafter either played Tetris, or only pressed buttons as if playing Tetris (motor activity), while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. Tetris gameplay (when using mental rotation instructions and controlling for motor activity) robustly activated brain areas located in the ventral and dorsal stream, with maximum peak activation in the inferior and mid temporal gyrus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize brain areas specifically associated with the visuospatial aspects of Tetris gameplay, by controlling for motor activity and when using mental rotation instructions. Results demonstrate that engaging in Tetris gameplay recruits an extensive brain circuitry previously tied to visuospatial processing. Thus, findings are consistent with the use of Tetris as an imagery-competing task as one of several components of emerging interventions targeting dysfunctional mental imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrusive memories of trauma are recurrent distressing sensory-perceptual impressions of the traumatic event that enter consciousness spontaneously and unwanted. They often contain the worst moment/s ('hotspots') of the trauma memory and have primarily been studied in clinical populations after real trauma. Intrusive memories can also be studied using analogue trauma as an 'experimental psychology model'. Little is known about the features of analogue trauma hotspots. Here we report an ancillary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial. Seventy non-clinical participants viewed a trauma film containing COVID-19 related footage. Features of hotspots/intrusive memories of the film were explored using linguistic analysis and qualitative content coding. Participants reported on average five hotspots (M = 9.5 words/hotspot). Akin to hotspots soon after real trauma, analogue hotspots/intrusions primarily contained words related to space. Most contained sensory features, yet few cognitions and emotions. Results indicate that features of analogue trauma hotspots mirror those of hotspots soon after real trauma, speaking to the clinical validity of this 'experimental psychology model'. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04608097, registered on 29/10/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]