Brain and cognitive reserve: Translation via network control theory

•Traditional approaches to understanding brain and cognitive reserve do not investigate network mechanisms.•Network science provides a theoretical framework for examining network mechanisms in health and disease.•Network control theory links engineering and network science to explain the control of system function.•Network dynamics and control may advance understanding of cognitive resilience, outcome, and opportunities for intervention.

Traditional approaches to understanding the brain's resilience to neuropathology have identified neurophysiological variables, often described as brain or cognitive “reserve,” associated with better outcomes. However, mechanisms of function and resilience in large-scale brain networks remain poorly understood. Dynamic network theory may provide a basis for substantive advances in understanding functional resilience in the human brain. In this perspective, we describe recent theoretical approaches from network control theory as a framework for investigating network level mechanisms underlying cognitive function and the dynamics of neuroplasticity in the human brain. We describe the theoretical opportunities offered by the application of network control theory at the level of the human connectome to understand cognitive resilience and inform translational intervention.