Left ventricular wall motion display using MRI myocardial tagging

We have developed a left ventricular wall motion analysis method, and developed a display method of the motion on personal computer monitor. To know precise rotation or deformity, identifiable landmarks must be located. The MRI tagging makes it possible to estimate the regional wall motion noninvasively. We tried to estimate the precise LV wall motion by the MRI tagging. Tagging is achieved by a selective saturation pulse method. The difference of the signal intensity between tagged and nontagged regions persists for 400-700 milliseconds. We display the tag point movement as animation, and display the rotation and contraction curve on the same computer monitor.