A new study conducted at Griffith University in Australia found a potential link between nose-picking and developing dementia. The research, which was conducted on mice, demonstrated that the roof of the nasal cavity is damaged during nose-picking. The damage caused then provides a path for bacteria to travel up the olfactory nerve and into the brain. The bacteria tested was Chlamydia pneumoniae, which is found in the majority of human brains affected by dementia. The team found that the bacteria can travel to the brain within 24 to 72 hours, and can trigger the deposition of amyloid-beta protein.