Stress-induced regional dyssynchrony and shortening of left ventricular filling. Left: in a control subject, normal timing of retraction of the mitral annulus coincides with early diastolic filling (E wave). Middle: in a patient with coronary artery disease (CAD), continued inward movement of the long axis during early diastole at rest prolongs isovolumic relaxation time and delays early diastolic filling. Right: exaggerated early diastolic long axis incoordination during stress in the same patient with CAD significantly delays early diastolic filling, with overall limitation of filling time with respect to RR interval.