# A Multiscale Computational Model of the Heart for Patient-specific Diagnosis of HFpEF

> **NIH NIH F31** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $48,974

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a complex clinical syndrome in which patients have
normal or near normal ejection fraction (EF) but show classic signs of heart failure. The etiologic basis of these
symptoms is poor filling and limited relaxation of the cardiac ventricular chambers, often due to pathological
stiffening of the myocardium. Diagnosing HFpEF is challenging, as myocardial changes that can be imaged
using traditional techniques (e.g., ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), etc.) do not always
correlate with stiffening. While direct measurement of myocardial stiffness could be of great value, a technique
is lacking, resulting in a significant unmet clinical need in diagnosing HFpEF using direct estimation of myocardial
stiffness. The central hypothesis is that myocardial stiffness, characterized by passive material properties, can
be derived from patient-specific modeling based on non-invasively measured myocardial strains, providing a
novel approach to diagnose and predict the progression of HFpEF. Hence, the overarching goal of this project
is to measure three-dimensional (3D) myocardial stiffness non-invasively in patients with HFpEF using MRI and
the Criscione-Hussein model, a novel model that can estimate stiffness in the form of material stiffness
parameters non-invasively from MRI-derived strains as well as represent the passive biomechanical properties
of the myocardium better than currently used models. Towards that end, two groups will be recruited for this
study, an age-matched control group of healthy subjects (n=16) and a second group that has HFpEF with
diastolic dysfunction (n=16). Aim 1 will seek to implement a 3D Displacement Encoding with Stimulated Echoes
(DENSE) sequence to measure patient-specific 3D myocardial strain in both groups. Aim 2 will seek to calculate
regionally the distributed myocardial material stiffness parameters to quantify 3D stiffness using the Criscione-
Hussein model and the strains from aim 1. Aim 3 will validate the measured stiffness by comparing the
reproducibility, sensitivity, and specificity of the MRI-derived material stiffness parameters with that of clinical
indices of HFpEF. These material stiffness parameters will prove superior to currently used global metrics in both
diagnosing HFpEF and providing key insights into stiffness heterogeneity as well as assessing the extent of
stiffness on a patient-specific basis, thus serving for risk-stratification and optimizing treatment planning. The
long-term objective of this proposal is to elucidate deeper insights into how HFpEF changes the biomechanical
properties of the myocardium and leverage such insights towards predicting and managing HFpEF early in its
course, ultimately improving clinical outcomes and patients living longer, healthier lives. The study team is in an
unparalleled position of facilities and is comprised of individuals who are top experts in their respective areas of
re...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10998663
- **Project number:** 1F31HL172683-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Tawfik Hussein
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $48,974
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-30 → 2027-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10998663

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10998663, A Multiscale Computational Model of the Heart for Patient-specific Diagnosis of HFpEF (1F31HL172683-01A1). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/10998663. Licensed CC0.

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