Feature Tracking for Ventricular Strain Assessment in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Abstract

Impairment of left ventricular (LV) longitudinal function is recognized as an independent predictor of cardiac events in patients with heart failure (HF). 1 Strain imaging derived from speckle tracking echocardiography or feature tracking cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) 2 permit assessments of myocardial function in the longitudinal direction, however, specific competencies and time-consuming protocols are often needed. Therefore, we aim to investigate a fast, semi-automated, and vendor-independent approach for accurate determination of LV longitudinal strain from standard cine CMR images.