Application of Left Atrial Strain Based on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Cardiovascular Diseases

The left atrium (LA) plays a crucial role in maintaining left ventricular filling. Additionally, LA function serves as a key indicator for evaluating and grading the severity of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Increasing evidence demonstrates that LA function and volume are vital imaging indicators for various cardiovascular conditions. However, conventional volumetric parameters have limitations. They cannot adequately depict the phase-dependent characteristics and complex dynamics of LA activity. Recently, cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) has emerged as an effective tool for quantifying LA strain. This technique offers superior reproducibility, lacks acoustic window constraints, and provides enhanced spatial resolution. CMR-FT-derived LA strain enables the early detection of atrial mechanical injury. Furthermore, it precisely reflects atrial phasic functional changes. These capabilities offer novel insights into the diagnosis, management, prognostic stratification, and therapeutic efficacy assessment of cardiovascular diseases. This review summarizes current research advances in LA strain assessment via CMR-FT and further provides perspectives on its clinical applications.