Background: In the last decades, the relationship between social networking sites (SNSs) and older people’s loneliness is gaining specific relevance. Studies in this field are often based on qualitative methods to study in-depth self-perceived issues, including loneliness and well-being, or quantitative surveys to report the links between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and older people’s well-being or loneliness. However, these nonexperimental methods are unable to deeply analyze the causal relationship. Moreover, the research on older people’s SNS use is still scant, especially regarding its impact on health and well-being. In recent years, the existing review studies have separately focused their attention on loneliness and social isolation of older people or on the use of ICTs and SNSs in elderly populations without addressing the relationship between the former and the latter. This thorough qualitative review provides an analysis of research performed using an experimental or quasi-experimental design that investigates the causal effect of ICT and SNS use on elderly people’s well-being related to loneliness. Objective: The aims of this review are to contrast and compare research designs (sampling and recruitment, evaluation tools, interventions) and the findings of these studies and highlight their limitations. Methods: Using an approach that integrates the methodological framework for scoping studies and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews, we identified 11 articles that met our inclusion criteria. A thematic and content analysis was performed based on the ex post categorization of the data on the selected studies, and the data were summarized in tables. Results: The analysis of the selected articles showed that: (1) ICT use is positively but weakly related to the different measures of older people’s well-being and loneliness, (2) overall, the studies under review lack a sound experimental design, (3) the main limitations of these studies lie in the lack of rigor in the sampling method and in the recruitment strategy. Conclusions: The analysis of the reviewed studies confirms the existence of a beneficial effect of ICT use on the well-being of older people in terms of reduced loneliness. However, the causal relationship is often found to be weak. This review highlights the need to study these issues further with adequate methodological rigor.

Older adults are less familiar with communication technology, which became essential to maintain social contacts during the COVID-19 lockdown. The present study aimed at exploring how older adults, previously trained for Social Networking Sites (SNSs) use, experienced the lockdown period. In the first two weeks of May 2020, telephone surveys were conducted with individuals aged 81–85 years and resident in Abbiategrasso (Milan), who previously participated in a study aimed at evaluating the impact of SNSs use on loneliness in old age (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04242628). We collected information on SNSs use, self-perceived loneliness, and social engagement with family and friends. Interviewed participants were stratified as trained (N = 60) and untrained (N = 70) for SNSs use, based on their attendance to group courses held the previous year as part of the main experimental study. The groups were comparable for sociodemographics and clinical features. Participants trained for SNSs use reported significantly higher usage of SNSs and reduced feeling of being left out. Compared to pre-lockdown levels, individuals trained for SNSs use showed a lighter reduction in social contacts. These findings support the utility of training older adults for SNSs use in order to improve their social inclusion, even in extreme conditions of self-isolation and perceived vulnerability.

Background: In the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the validation of biomarkers for earlyADdiagnosis and for use as a surrogate outcome inADclinical trials is of considerable research interest.Objective: To characterize the clinical profile and genetic, neuroimaging and neurophysiological biomarkers of prodromalADin amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients enrolled in theIMI WP5 PharmaCog (also referred to as the EuropeanADNIstudy).Methods: A total of 147aMCIpatients were enrolled in 13 European memory clinics. Patients underwent clinical and neuropsychological evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG) and lumbar puncture to assess the levels of amyloid β peptide 1–42 (Aβ42), tau and p‐tau, and blood samples were collected. Genetic (APOE), neuroimaging (3T morphometry and diffusionMRI) andEEG(with resting‐state and auditory oddball event‐related potential (AO‐ERP) paradigm) biomarkers were evaluated.Results: ProdromalADwas found in 55aMCIpatients defined by low Aβ42 in the cerebrospinal fluid (Aβ positive). Compared to theaMCIgroup with high Aβ42 levels (Aβ negative), Aβ positive patients showed poorer visual (P= 0.001), spatial recognition (P< 0.0005) and working (P= 0.024) memory, as well as a higher frequency ofAPOE4 (P< 0.0005), lower hippocampal volume (P= 0.04), reduced thickness of the parietal cortex (P< 0.009) and structural connectivity of the corpus callosum (P< 0.05), higher amplitude of delta rhythms at rest (P= 0.03) and lower amplitude of posterior cingulate sources ofAO‐ERP(P= 0.03).Conclusion: These results suggest that, inaMCIpatients, prodromalADis characterized by a distinctive cognitive profile and genetic, neuroimaging and neurophysiological biomarkers. Longitudinal assessment will help to identify the role of these biomarkers inADprogression.

Few studies have examined lockdown effects on the way of living and well-being of older adults stratified by cognitive state. Since cognitive deficits are common in this population, we investigated...