Pixel-tracking derived strain using the GlasgowHeart Method

Background Estimation of strain parameters from cine acquisitions, such as balanced steady state free precession (b-SSFP) is advantageous, as it would obviate the need for acquisition of additional strain sequences reducing scanning time and making strain more accessible to clinicians. 2D strain derived from feature-tracking is now commercially available. The GlasgowHeart cine-strain method is designed to overcome some limitations of currently available featuretracking methods by estimating pixel-wise strain for myocardial deformation incorporating all of the myocardial tissues. The aims of this pilot study was to ensure that 2D peak circumferential strain estimated from the GlasgowHeart method is feasible in healthy volunteers (n = 20) and reproducible with minimal intraand interobserver variability.