The format of the US National Bee is as follows:

The Championship involves two parts. The top students from Part I go on to Part II. The maximum total for Part I is 100 points.

      Part I

      A. Human Neuroanatomy Practical (30%). This involves 30 stations with whole or half human brains, that have pins sticking in different parts. Students must recall their names and/or functions and write them on their answer sheets. Students can prepare by studying any basic neuroanatomy or neurophysiology textbook or atlas.

      B. Oral Question and Answer session one (9%). Three different questions are asked of each student. They require a one word or phrase answer. Students can prepare by studying Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain (2003) published by British Neuroscience Association and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain. This publication is available on-line at www.bna.org.uk/publications. It is also available at www.ibro.org; click on brain campaign and then choose the English version.

      C. Patient Diagnosis (21%)  Students will spend 5 minutes alone with each of 7 patient actors. By observing them, asking them 3 questions, and ordering 2 laboratory or clinical tests they are to diagnose the patient’s neurological disorder, choosing from one of the following 12 disorders: bipolar disorder, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia, stroke, Tourette Syndrome, neurological AIDS, chronic pain, and autism. Patients are only allowed to answer “yes”, “no” or “I don’t know” to the 3 questions. Students will select from a list of diagnostic tests and will immediately be given the results to help their diagnosis. Students can prepare by studying the basic signs, symptoms and diagnostic procedures for these disorders. A concise place to fine this is in the Medical Encyclopedia of Medline Plus which can be found at the National Library of Medicine website: www.nlm.nih.gov.

      D. Written Test (14%). All competitors are given the same fourteen multiple choice questions. Students can prepare by studying Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain (2003) published by British Neuroscience Association and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain. This publication is available on-line at www.bna.org.uk/publications. It is also available at www.ibro.org; click on brain campaign and then choose the English version.

      E. Oral Question and Answer session two (21%). Seven different questions are asked of each student. They require a one word or phrase answer. There may be one or two rounds of visuals. Students can prepare by studying Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain (2003) published by British Neuroscience Association and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain. This publication is available on-line at www.bna.org.uk/publications. It is also available at www.ibro.org; click on brain campaign and then choose the English version.

      F. Group Competition (5%). Competitors are divided into 4 to 6 groups on Friday morning. At irregular times throughout the two days they are be given 10 fun tasks, such as neuroscience crossword puzzles, to complete. Each task lasts about 5 minutes. With each task, each competitor of the winning group will each receive 0.5 points. There is no specific reference to study for this part. Common sense and a general basic knowledge of neuroscience will be required.

      Part II

 Oral Question and Answer Elimination. The top 5 students from Part I compete in Part II. In every round, each student is asked a different question. The questions require a one word or phrase answer. A competitor is eliminated when he/she accumulates three wrong answers. The last one standing is the champion. Students can prepare by studying Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain (2003) published by British Neuroscience Association and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain. This publication is available on-line at www.bna.org.uk/publications. It is also available at www.ibro.org; click on brain campaign and then choose the English version.

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