love IS THE drug

If you’ve ever been baffled by how someone you’re sweet on could manage to resist your clear-as-day signals, there might be more to it than “they’re just not that into you”

Scientists at the University of Georgia in the US found that lower activity of the OXT gene, involved in the production of oxytocin (the bonding, loving chemical), might affect a person’s social behaviour, including their ability to have romantic relationships. In the study published in June, more than 120 participants underwent genetic tests and assessments of social skills, brain structure and brain function. Those with lower activity of the OXT gene had difficulty perceiving emotional facial expressions and were more inclined to feel anxious about their relationships (meaning that someone with lowfunctioning OXT might be immune to your doe-eyed displays and, even worse, they may not even have the emotional capacity to sustain a serious, healthy relationship). But before you go decreeing your love life doomed, wait – a solution could be imminent. In another study published in the Hormones And Behavior journal, researchers found that oxytocin administered via nasal spray triggered care-giving behaviour in a group of 60 men and improved their recognition of emotional facial expressions. So go ahead, bat those lashes.