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What is a mitochondrial uncoupler, and why would they help with neurological problems?

>What is a mitochondrial uncoupler...

Examine link #2.

>why would they help with neurological problems?

Good question—perhaps the alteration in ambient energy in the brain prevents certain proteins form forming (amyloid plaques in this case). Honestly, it's hard to tell; it's under active research.

That's a little bit of a hard read... but if I understand it correctly, they cause decrease efficiency of sugar->ATP conversion, and the indirect effect of that is to cause increase sugar consumption.

Here's a simplified version: energy generation in the mitochondria is based on the energy differential between the intermembrane space and the inner mitochondrial membrane (I may have confused those membranes). Most uncouplers act to reduce that differential, thus causing inefficiency in the system, which is lost as heat.

tl;dr uncouplers mess with H+ ions.

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