title: Relationship between cardiac diffusion tensor imaging parameters and anthropometrics in healthy volunteers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In vivo cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) is uniquely capable of interrogating laminar myocardial dynamics non-invasively. A comprehensive dataset of quantative parameters and comparison with subject anthropometrics is required.
  
  
  METHODS
  cDTI was performed at 3T with a diffusion weighted STEAM sequence. Data was acquired from the mid left ventricle in 43 subjects during the systolic and diastolic pauses. Global and regional values were determined for fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), helix angle gradient (HAg, degrees/%depth) and the secondary eigenvector angulation (E2A). Regression analysis was performed between global values and subject anthropometrics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All cDTI parameters displayed regional heterogeneity. The RR interval had a significant, but clinically small effect on systolic values for FA, HAg and E2A. Male sex and increasing left ventricular end diastolic volume were associated with increased systolic HAg. Diastolic HAg and systolic E2A were both directly related to left ventricular mass and body surface area. There was an inverse relationship between E2A mobility and both age and ejection fraction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future interpretations of quantitative cDTI data should take into account anthropometric variations observed with patient age, body surface area and left ventricular measurements. Further work determining the impact of technical factors such as strain and SNR is required.
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. L.McGill@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. L.McGill@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. P.ferreira@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. P.ferreira@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. A.scott@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. A.scott@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. sonia.nielles-vallespin@nih.gov.|National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. sonia.nielles-vallespin@nih.gov.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nielles-Vallespin
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. a.giannakidis@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. a.giannakidis@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannakidis
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. p.kilner@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. p.kilner@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kilner
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. p.gatehouse@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. p.gatehouse@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gatehouse
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. r.desilva@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. r.desilva@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Silva
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. d.firmin@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. d.firmin@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Firmin
authors.affiliation: NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. dj.pennell@rbht.nhs.uk.|National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. dj.pennell@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pennell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016880:Anisotropy; D000886:Anthropometry; D001830:Body Surface Area; D003971:Diastole; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013599:Systole; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D055815:Young Adult