Three-dimensional systolic strain patterns in the normal human left ventricle: characterization with tagged MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To present a database of systolic three-dimensional (3D) strain evolution throughout the normal left ventricle (LV) in humans.


METHODS
In 31 healthy volunteers, magnetic resonance (MR) tissue tagging and breath-hold MR imaging were used to generate and then detect the motion of transient fiducial markers (ie, tags) in the heart every 32 msec. Strain and motion were calculated from a 3D displacement field that was fit to the tag data. Special indexes of contraction and thickening that were based on multiple strain components also were evaluated.


RESULTS
The temporal evolution of local strains was linear during the first half of systole. The peak shortening and thickening strain components were typically greatest in the anterolateral wall, increased toward the apex, and increased toward the endocardium. Shears and displacements were more spatially variable. The two specialized indexes of contraction and thickening had higher measurement precision and tighter normal ranges than did the traditional strain components.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, the authors noninvasively characterized the normal systolic ranges of 3D displacement and strain evolution throughout the human LV. Comparison against this multidimensional database may permit sensitive detection of systolic LV dysfunction.
Moore
C C
CC
Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Lugo-Olivieri
C H
CH
McVeigh
E R
ER
Zerhouni
E A
EA
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019992:Databases as Topic; D004699:Endocardium / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D012399:Rotation; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013599:Systole; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*