Competition Content

1. 2025 Brain Bee Syllabus

  • The 2025 Brain Bee Syllabus defines the knowledge outline for the competition.
    [Click here to download]

2. Must-See: Brain Bee Exam Content

The Brain Bee competition includes:

Local Competition National Competition International Competition

(A) Local Competition

Most local Brain Bee competitions are based on introductory texts such as “Access Brain Facts” or “Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain”. These provide a brief overview of neuroscience. Please note that each local Brain Bee is organized independently.

Key Study Materials:

  1. Brain Facts – [Download Book]
    Brain Facts is an introductory guide to the brain and nervous system, published by the Society for Neuroscience. It is a valuable resource for middle and high school teachers and students preparing for Brain Bee.

  2. Neuroscience – [Download Book]

(B) National Competition

Each national Brain Bee is independently organized, and the exam content is arranged separately. Winners of national competitions qualify for the IBB World Championship. Refer to the respective national syllabus for guidance.

(C) International Competition

The IBB World Championship is designed as a high-level, friendly academic competition.

  • To qualify, students must win the highest-level Brain Bee in their country or region.

  • Materials are drawn from college- and medical school-level courses, requiring careful preparation.

  • All participants are expected to support one another throughout the competition.

  • The IBB organizers reserve the right to modify competition details at any stage.

♠ Competition Sections ♠

Neuroanatomy

In the neuroanatomy section, students work with whole or sliced human brains or detailed illustrations. For each major brain structure, students should know:

  • Anatomical location

  • Major input and output fiber connections

  • Grey matter nuclei and white matter tracts

  • Principal neuron types and their connections

  • Main function

Students must be prepared to be quizzed on any structure listed in the IBB Study Guide. No lists or glossaries are provided during the competition.

Neurohistology

Students examine human tissue under a microscope or are provided representative images. They must identify structures and describe their functions.

  • Microscope slides may include any thin section described in the IBB Study Guide.

  • Students should know substructures, fiber connections, and functional roles of cells and tissues.

Written Exam

  • Consists of multiple-choice and short-answer questions covering all study guide topics.

  • Each question specifies whether it is single-choice (one correct answer) or multiple-choice.

Patient Diagnosis

  • Video clips of patients are presented with written case histories.

  • Students may request up to three lab or imaging results to aid diagnosis.

  • Patients display common forms of neurological disorders, including motor or other visual symptoms.

  • After selecting diagnostic tests, students are asked to diagnose the patient.

[Essential Content: Patient Diagnosis]

Live Judging

  • National champions participate in the first four sections. Top performers qualify for live judging, where a panel poses questions to students.

  • Students have 30–90 seconds to write and record answers.

  • Scores from live judging are added to other competition sections to determine final rankings.

Rules:

  • Live judging is elimination-style.

  • Each incorrect answer results in one deduction; after two deductions, the student is eliminated.

  • The process continues until one student remains.

  • Points are awarded for correct answers.

Sample Questions:

  • Which neurotransmitter is released by motor neurons to facilitate voluntary movement? Answer: Acetylcholine

  • How many axons can a single Schwann cell myelinate? Answer: One

♠ International Competition Study Books ♠

[Book Access] | [Book Access]

3. Brain Bee Practice Knowledge Points

Example 1: “Electronic Hat”

Professor Geoff Woodman (Vanderbilt University) developed an “electronic hat” that stimulates the brain with small voltages to enhance learning and decision-making.

Questions:

  1. Which part of the brain is primarily stimulated by the electronic hat? Answer: A

    • A: Frontal Lobe

    • B: Parietal Lobe

    • C: Occipital Lobe

    • D: Temporal Lobe

  2. Which statement about the electronic hat is incorrect? Answer: B

    • A: Works similarly to staying alert with caffeine

    • B: Provides long-term improvement in learning

    • C: Could help individuals with learning disabilities

    • D: Reversing current could reduce learning ability

Example 2: Artificial Neural Networks

Artificial neural networks simulate human neural networks using nodes to process and exchange information.

Questions:

  1. In the human nervous system, the “node” is a neuron.

  2. The connections between nodes are synapses.

  3. A node receives input and outputs information simultaneously. In humans, input is received by dendrites.

  4. Which statement about artificial neural networks is incorrect? Answer: D

    • D: Artificial neural networks cannot self-learn or update knowledge

Example 3: ALS & Ice Bucket Challenge

  • ALS early symptoms: muscle numbness, weakness; late symptoms: full-body atrophy, difficulty swallowing, inability to speak.

  • Ice Bucket Challenge raises awareness of ALS by simulating freezing sensations.

Questions:

  1. ALS is short for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

  2. ALS patients can still think normally. Answer: Yes

  3. Pathology involves motor neuron damage, leading to muscle atrophy.

Example 4: Drug Tolerance Case

  • A 40-year-old woman takes painkillers for knee pain. After 4 months, the effect decreases.

Questions:

  1. What caused her decreased response? Answer: Tolerance

  2. Should the doctor increase the dosage? Answer: No

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