Network hubs in the human brain

• Brain hubs can be detected with tools and methods of graph theory.
• Network studies have consistently identified structural hubs in cerebral cortex.
• Hubs are central in brain communication and neural integration.
• Hubs participate widely across a diverse set of cognitive functions.
• High centrality makes hubs susceptible to disconnection and dysfunction.

Virtually all domains of cognitive function require the integration of distributed neural activity. Network analysis of human brain connectivity has consistently identified sets of regions that are critically important for enabling efficient neuronal signaling and communication. The central embedding of these candidate ‘brain hubs’ in anatomical networks supports their diverse functional roles across a broad range of cognitive tasks and widespread dynamic coupling within and across functional networks. The high level of centrality of brain hubs also renders them points of vulnerability that are susceptible to disconnection and dysfunction in brain disorders. Combining data from numerous empirical and computational studies, network approaches strongly suggest that brain hubs play important roles in information integration underpinning numerous aspects of complex cognitive function.