Figure 1

Example velocity time curves (left column) and mean +/- SD peak velocities and TTP values (right column) for longitudinal (a), radial (b) and circumferential (c) directions. End systole is marked by a vertical dotted line on the radial curve. The main peaks (systole (S), early diastole (D) and atrial systole (AS) for longitudinal and radial velocities and the three circumferential peaks (C1, C2 and C3)) are marked. Of particular note is the late diastolic peak which has not previously been seen with prospectively gated PVM studies and which occurs due to passive movement as the atria contract, producing a velocity peak in the radial and longitudinal directions.