Discovery: nasal spray that makes men more emphatic

Scientists in Germany and England claim they have invented a nasal spray that makes men more caring, sensitive and affectionate.

The spray is based on oxytocin, a hormone released in women's bodies during labour and breastfeeding, the Daily Mail reported.

Tests were conducted at the Cambridge and Friedrich Wilhelms University of Bonn, 24 men were given the nasal spray while 24 others were given a placebo.

The men were then shown photographs designed to trigger emotion responses, including pictures of a crying girl, a man in mourning and a child holding a kitten.

The study found that the group with nasal spray showed levels of sensitivity which was usually seen in women.

Dr Keith Kendrick at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge said the use of oxytocin had a big effect on the men it was being tested on.

It gets men up to the levels shown by women - it could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on which way you look at it, he said.

For many women, you could say it would almost be a godsend to make a man more empathetic and more like them.

It is believed that the oxytocin spray could be used to help people with autism, schizophrenia and other disorders related to having trouble connecting with other people.

jc