Tetris on the Brain: The Effect of This Classic Puzzle Game is Astounding on the Brain

Tetris is the lovable puzzle game from Russia that we all know and love. Alex Pajitnov is credited with creating the game while working for Dorodnicyn Computer Center in Moscow, Russia. This game was born of the mind of a genius and thus some may think it would take a genius to play, however we all try it anyways. Most of us who are interested in the game Tetris, or one of it's many variations picks up the controller and waste 10 -20 minuets or less attempting to fit piece after piece into perfectly straight lines across the screen, or stack up rows of four lines in an attempt to score big points with a "Tetris" . A Tetris is clearing four lines with a single piece, and the only way to earn very large scores during game play.

For many of us Tetris is just a simple shape and puzzles game, like many others on the market today, but what effect does this timeless game truly have on your brain? The game is very logical and methodical almost to a fault. You can spend hours playing level after level and still never know exactly what your best moves are. Some studies show that this game actually increases brain function, focus, and can even help the elderly maintain their minds.

When a player first picks up the game and starts to play, he or she has an increase of brain function and activity. Cerebral energy consumption becomes greater so glucose metabolic rates increase. We all know glucose the basic form of sugar, and sugar is the key element in our body's activity. So when you begin the game your brain is using a lot of sugar to maintain activity but as you increase playtime and become more prolific at the game these levels drop.

As you begin to master the game, calm down and think about your next moves and get a really good feel for Tetris itself the glucose consumption of the brain is reduced. Your brain begins to regulate the consumption of glucose and in turn your brain will become more efficient as time goes on. This is just like running a mile, if you use all your energy and speed at the start you will eventually tire out, however if you pace yourself your overall efficiency will increase.

In this regulation of glucose consumption we see an overall increase in the efficiency of our mind. In elderly players ranging from ages 50 + we see that this increased function keeps them sharper and they are able to retain information better rather then those who do not participate in games and puzzles such as Tetris. Some studies even suggest that games like Tetris and variations can even slow down the progression of Alzheimer's Dieses!

With these new scientific facts in the publics view it's no wonder Nintendo has decided to promote games like Brain Age where puzzle solving and quick thinking are the goals of the player. Alex Pajitnov may have only been trying to pass the time in his cubical when he designed this incredible game, but he could have had no idea how much of an impact his creation would have on the gaming industry, and even branching out into the scientific and health community.