TAGASIST: a post-processing and analysis tools package for tagged Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Myocardial tagging is a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique used for tracking and measuring local heart wall motion.
• This technique provides detailed regional cardiac function information, previously unavailable through non-invasive methods.
• The widespread adoption of myocardial tagging has been hindered by a lack of sophisticated post-processing tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the TAGged cine AnalySIS Tools package (TAGASIST) for processing myocardial tagging images.
• To provide a comprehensive software solution addressing the limitations in post-processing tools for myocardial tagging.
• To facilitate more efficient and detailed analysis of regional cardiac function.

Main Methods:

• Development of the TAGged cine AnalySIS Tools package (TAGASIST).
• TAGASIST includes a graphical user interface (GUI) for image segmentation and kinematic analysis.
• The package supports plotting of regional averages, statistical analysis, and database management for multiple subjects.

Main Results:

• TAGASIST offers a user-friendly interface for complex image processing tasks.
• The software enables simultaneous analysis of multiple subjects or patient populations.
• Comprehensive tools for segmentation, kinematic analysis, and statistical evaluation are integrated.

Conclusions:

• TAGASIST significantly improves the accessibility and utility of myocardial tagging MRI.
• The software package addresses the critical need for advanced post-processing tools in cardiac function analysis.
• TAGASIST is expected to advance research and clinical applications of myocardial tagging techniques.