On some trials, a stop signal is presented just prior to, or simultaneously with the go signal, and the subject must inhibit the impending response. The SSRT test is similar, except that the stop signal is presented after the go signal. This small modification increases the difficulty of inhibiting the go response, because the participant has typically already initiated the go response by the time the stop signal is presented. The participant is instructed to respond as fast as possible to the go signal while maintaining the highest possible inhibition accuracy (on no-go trials). During the task, the time at which the stop signal is presented (the stop signal delay or SSD) is dynamically adjusted to match the time after the go signal at which the participant is just able/unable to inhibit their go response. If the participant fails to inhibit their go response, the stop signal is moved slightly closer to the original go signal, and if the participant successfully inhibits their go response, the stop signal is moved slightly ahead in time. The SSRT is thus measured as the average go response time minus the average stop signal presentation time (SSD). Balloon Analogue Risk Task
The balloon analogue risk task (BART) was designed to assess risk-taking behavior. Subjects are presented with a computer depiction of a balloon that can be incrementally inflated by pressing a response key. As the balloon inflates, the subject accumulates rewards with each new key-press. The balloon is programmed with a constant probability of popping.
It is also used in surgery and post operative pain control in patients that are taking high dose buprenorphine for chronic pain because it is the only opioid that has a potency and binding affinity strong enough to displace buprenorphine from the opioid receptors in the central nervous system and provide analgesia.In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Dsuvia, a sublingual tablet form of the drug, that was developed in a collaboration between AcelRx Pharmaceuticals and the United States Department of Defense for use in battlefield settings where intravenous (IV) treatments may not be readily available. The decision to approve this new potent synthetic opioid came under criticism from politicians and from the chair of the FDA advisory committee, who fear that the tablets will be easily diverted to the illegal drug market. Side effects
It is essential for the administering medical professional to be trained in airway management with readily available airway equipment because the drug causes significant respiratory depression and may cause respiratory arrest if given too rapidly or in too high a dose. Other opioid side effects such as heart rhythm irregularity, blood pressure changes and nausea/vomiting can also be present in patients given this drug and should be dealt with accordingly. Sufentanil has been associated with extremely rare instances of life-threatening anaphylaxis. Overdose
Management
Because sufentanil is very potent, practitioners must be prepared to reverse the effects of the drug should the patient exhibit symptoms of overdose such as respiratory depression or respiratory arrest.