The article is no longer available online. Here is an excerpt:
"'We find that intranasal administration of oxytocin causes a substantial
increase in trusting behaviour,' a research team said.
The team was led by Dr. Michael Kosfeld of the University of Zurich, whose
findings appear in the journal Nature.
Oxytocin -- not to be confused with Oxycontin, the increasingly popular
painkiller gaining a reputation as "hillbilly heroin" -- has long been linked to
sex, reproduction and motherhood.
Mammals produce it in parts of the brain that regulate social behaviour. The
Swiss team pointed out that the hormone lets wild animals "overcome their
natural avoidance of proximity." Farmers use the chemical to get cows to produce
more milk.
For humans, the hormone has been produced synthetically since the 1950s, used by
obstetricians to help induce labour. Naturally occurring oxytocin is more fun,
but has its pitfalls. In fact, some sex counsellors warn new lovers not to jump
into bed with one another, as orgasms increase levels of oxytocin and can thus
impair judgment about a mate's character. "
Excerpt from:
"Building trust via nasal spray"
By COLIN FREEZE
Thursday, June 2, 2005 Page A1
The Globe and Mail