Gazing into your lover's eyes isn't only romantic; it may also mimic early attachments that forever alter your brain and body.

Gazing into your lover's eyes isn't only romantic; it may also mimic early attachments that forever alter your brain and body.

People with schizophrenia or autism often avoid eye-to-eye gaze, focus on less relevant areas of the face, and avoid meaningful social contact. The UCSD researchers theorize that use of oxytocin might act on the brains of patients with schizophrenia and anxiety and may ultimately increase the level of trust or emotional contact between patient and physician, or with patients and significant others.
Previously studies of healthy individuals have shown that intranasal doses of oxytocin reduce activation of brain circuits involved in fear, increase levels of eye contact, and increase both trust and generosity. Interestingly, people given oxytocin don't report feeling any different, but they act differently.