What is a synapse? A synapse is a space that occurs between two neurons (brain cells), or between a neuron and another type of cell. These spaces are very important, because they play an integral role in neuronal communication.
When a signal (essentially a message) needs to be passed from one neuron to another cell, either a chemical (called a neurotransmitter) or an electrical signal will be released by one neuron (called the presynaptic nueron) into the synapse. The second cell will then receive this signal.
This process is important to understand because many medications for borderline personality disorder (BPD) have a mechanism of action at the synapse.
For example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of antidepressant medications frequently prescribed for BPD, increase the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain by blocking the reuptake of serotonin at the synapse.
