What kind of potentials are produced from changes in synaptic transmission?

Cortical potentials are generated from changes in synaptic transmission, primarily in the cerebral cortex. These potentials arise from the summation of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials at the level of neurons within the brain. When a neurotransmitter binds to a receptor on a postsynaptic neuron, it can either depolarize or hyperpolarize that neuron, leading to changes in its membrane potential and potentially resulting in action potentials. This synaptic activity is critical for cognitive processes, perception, motor control, and coordination.

While muscle potentials are related to motor neuron activity and peripheral potentials involve sensory input and stimulation in peripheral nerves, they do not directly involve the synaptic transmission changes in the cortex. Reflex potentials, on the other hand, are derived from the reflex arcs involving sensory and motor pathways but are largely independent of the complex synaptic interactions that occur in the cortex. Therefore, cortical potentials are specifically linked to the dynamic processes of synaptic transmission in the brain, making this the correct choice.