A 2022 study involving mice suggests a potential link between nose picking and dementia, specifically Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that the bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia, may have a clearer path to the brain through internal nasal tissue damage caused by picking. This could trigger responses resembling Alzheimer's symptoms. However, the study emphasizes that more research is needed to confirm this link in humans, as the nose has natural self-cleaning mechanisms.