New markers for diastolic function by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Tests a new method to evaluate diastolic heart function by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 11 healthy subjects (controls) and 11 consecutive patients with wall motion abnormalities and hypertension were examined with MRI. Imaging was performed using a 1.5-T whole-body scanner using a steady-state free precession sequence. For the analysis, a single mid-ventricular short-axis slice in the true cardiac axis with 23 heart phases (23 frames per heart cycle) was utilized. Three types of features were applied to characterize diastolic function: (1) the slope of a linear least-squares fit to the diastolic area change; (2) a shift parameter of the least-squares fit of the sigmoid Fermi function; and (3) an irregularity marker of contraction calculated as the sum of the standard deviations of corresponding points across all frames. All markers differed significantly in both groups. We conclude that these previously unobserved features serve as objective parameters for the assessment of the diastolic left ventricular function.