Anxiety and mood disorders share overlapping implications and deficits in emotional processing. While limbic structures like the amygdala are well studied, new and emerging evidence suggests the role of the Anterior Temporal Lobe (ATL) as a crucial hub for social-emotional integration and functioning. Social emotions such as fear, guilt, and embarrassment play a critical role in interpersonal interactions and dysfunction in decoding these emotions is central to anxiety disorders.
Recent studies suggest that the ATL plays a key role in interpreting social hierarchies as well as understanding facial emotional cues (Zahn et al., 2009). The understanding based on research is that to experience feelings of guilt (or other social emotions), the brain needs to retrieve the related conceptual information via the ATL. Thus, this attempts to understand the interactions between the ATL and fronto-limbic system and how it could underlie mood and anxiety disorders (Zahn et al., 2015).
Led by researcher Maya Visser at the University Jaume I in Castelló, a project aimed to understand how our brain interprets social hierarchy or facial emotions, advancing our knowledge of anxiety and mood disorders (Burgueño, 2025). It studies the role of ALT, as aforementioned gives meaning to the social and emotional aspect of one’s environment, in the neural network.
Literature Review: Advances in ATL Research
A meta-analysis (Visser & Jefferies, 2010) found that older neuroimaging studies (PET and fMRI) often failed to detect a signal in the ATL. Mostly, fMRI signals tend to distort in this brain region, which made it hard to capture clear readings, and large portions of the ATL were left out of the analysis since these older studies didn’t scan the full brain.
In recent times, newer techniques have emerged and have allowed research on the exact role of the left and right ATL in general. It also helps in exploring the subdivisions within these regions and in processing social concepts as well. The functional connectivity of the ALT with the emotional limbic regions has been revealed by a few studies (Visser et al., 2023).
This connection is also associated with sub-clinical mental health problems. One such study found that decreased functional connectivity between the ATL and the hippocampus was associated with social anxiety (Pantazatos et al., 2014).
Findings: ATL Connectivity and Emotional Judgments
The project led by Dr. Maya Visser and funded by the 2021 National Plan for Scientific Research examines how the ATL interacts with frontal and limbic brain regions during social interpretation and emotional expression. The ATL does not work in isolation but with different brain areas like the amygdala to enhance threat detection and fear response, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which postulates emotional reactions (Winecoff et al., 2013). The study particularly focuses on how these neural connections might differ in individuals with subclinical anxiety.
The study by Maya et al. 2023 has revealed that ATL is highly activated during social and emotional decisions. Initial findings have revealed that when social hierarchies are being assessed by people or they are making emotional judgements based on facial expressions, the superior ATL is strongly activated. It has also been suggested that the balance between semantic and conceptual processing in this region is highly disrupted by anxiety.
This area appears more active in anxious individuals, potentially reflecting their tendency toward negative emotional responses in social contexts – like feeling inadequate when observing successful others or experiencing excessive guilt over mistakes.
Discussion: Future Directions in ATL Research
Although these findings have come to light, further investigation is awaited to better understand the neural network employed in social processing and mental health problems, and the role of ATL.
While these initial findings are encouraging, several critical next steps must be addressed. Researches need to continue examining functional and structural connectivity between key brain regions – particularly analysing regions like the uncinate fasciculus, a crucial white matter pathway linking the ATL with the orbitofrontal cortex that appears central to anxiety and guilt processing (Zareba et al., 2024).
Furthermore, research has consistently shown sex differences in the prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders. Thus, it is being suggested that new projects are making efforts to include gender as a variable and achieve proper gender balance in the participant sample.
Conclusion: Implications for Anxiety and Mood Disorders
Dr. Maya Visser, researcher at Universitat Jaume I, investigates how semantic processing shapes social-emotional behaviour. Her commitment can be seen through her participation in numerous neuroimaging projects at research centres in different countries. T
he continued efforts by her and the university are aimed at achieving to better understanding of the brain regions and their implications in mental health problems. By targeting these neural mechanisms—through neuromodulation, psychotherapy, or pharmacology—we can develop more precise treatments for social anxiety and related conditions.
FAQs
1. What is the anterior temporal lobe (ATL), and what role does it play in social emotions?
The anterior temporal lobe (ATL) is a brain region critical for processing social and emotional information, including facial expressions, social hierarchies, and moral emotions like guilt. It integrates sensory input with contextual knowledge to help us interpret social cues accurately. Dysfunction in the ATL is linked to social anxiety and mood disorders.
2. Can understanding my brain help me manage anxiety better?
Definitely! Knowing that anxiety has a physical basis in your brain can help you depersonalise it (“This is my brain overreacting, not reality”) and seek strategies that work for your wiring.
3. Can improving ATL function help treat anxiety?
Emerging therapies like neurofeedback, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) aim to normalise ATL activity and its connections with emotional networks. Early studies show promise in reducing social anxiety symptoms.
4. Are some people naturally more sensitive to social rejection?
Yes, and it’s partly biological. Brain scans show that people who fear rejection often have stronger reactions in emotional processing areas, making social setbacks feel more painful.
5. How can I “retrain” my brain to feel less anxious in social settings?
Therapies like CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) or mindfulness can help calm overactive brain responses. Even simple practices, like questioning negative thoughts (“Are they really judging me?”), can gradually reshape your brain’s reactions.
6. When should I seek help for social anxiety?
If anxiety regularly disrupts your work, relationships, or happiness, it’s worth talking to a professional. You’re not just “overreacting”—your brain might need support to rebalance its responses.
References +
A study from the UJI reveals how the brain interprets social relationships and emotions through the anterior temporal lobe. (2025, July 17). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1091550
González-García, I., & Visser, M. (2023). A Semantic Cognition contribution to mood and anxiety disorder pathophysiology. Healthcare, 11(6), 821. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060821
Neuroscience News. (2025, July 18). How the Brain Decodes Social Emotions and Anxiety. https://neurosciencenews.com/atl-social-anxiety-emotion-29377/
Visser, M., Jefferies, E., & Ralph, M. a. L. (2009). Semantic processing in the anterior temporal lobes: A Meta-analysis of the functional Neuroimaging literature. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 22(6), 1083–1094. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2009.21309
Winecoff, A., Clithero, J. A., Carter, R. M., Bergman, S. R., Wang, L., & Huettel, S. A. (2013). Ventromedial prefrontal cortex encodes emotional value. Journal of Neuroscience, 33(27), 11032–11039. https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.4317-12.2013
Zahn, R., Lythe, K. E., Gethin, J. A., Green, S., Deakin, J. F. W., Young, A. H., & Moll, J. (2015). The role of self-blame and worthlessness in the psychopathology of major depressive disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 186, 337–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.001
Zahn, R., Moll, J., Paiva, M., Garrido, G., Krueger, F., Huey, E. D., & Grafman, J. (2008). The Neural Basis of Human Social Values: Evidence from Functional MRI. Cerebral Cortex, 19(2), 276–283. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhn080
Zareba, M. R., Bielski, K., Costumero, V., & Visser, M. (2024). Graph analysis of guilt processing network highlights links with subclinical anxiety and self-blame. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsae092
