What is Feature-Based Methodologies (for motion analysis)

The estimation of motion of the myocardial and arterial wall is important for the quantification of tissue elasticity and contractility and has gained attention as a determinant of cardiovascular disease. In this chapter, a review is attempted regarding the analysis and quantification of motion within the cardiovascular system from sequences of images. The main sources of cardiovascular wall motion include blood pressure, blood flow and tethering to surrounding tissue. The most commonly applied techniques for cardiovascular motion analysis include feature-based and pixel-based methodologies; the latter further include block matching, optical flow and registration techniques. Two distinct paradigms based on these methodologies are highlighted, namely myocardium and carotid artery wall motion. The current status of research in these areas is reviewed and future research directions are indicated.