Dr. Renato Sobral Monteiro Junior is professor and researcher at State University of Montes Claros. In this institution he works at Post Graduation Program (Master and Doctoral dregrees) of Health Sciences and at the Physical Education and Sport Department, Montes Claros, MG – Brazil. Leader of the Research and Study Group of Neuroscience, Exercise, Health and Sport – GENESEs Unimontes. He is Ph.D. of Neuroscience (Federal Fluminense University), Master in Exercise and Sport Sciences (State University of Rio de Janeiro), Bachelor in Physical Education.
Currently, he is developing research about virtual reality-based physical exercise (exergames) and its effects on mental and physical health of elderly. Exergames usually work in 2D virtual environment and require cognitive and physical skills simultaneously to create interaction between user and the device. He has investigated executive functions, navigational abilities, postural balance and gait. Since 2015 he and his colleagues have shown positive results and future perspectives of 2D virtual reality-based physical exercise for community-dwelling and institutionalized older adults. Currently, we are deeply investigating and comparing these effects on executive functions, global cognition, memory, symptoms of depression, muscle strength and thickness, postural balance (single- and dual-task), kinematic gait parameters, inflammatory profile and cerebral blood flow.