Background High dose dobutamine magnetic resonance stress testing has been shown to be superior to dobutamine stress echocardiography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). We determined the feasibility of quantitative myocardial tagging during low and high dose dobutamine stress and tested the ability of global systolic and diastolic quantitative parameters to identify patients with significant CAD. Methods Twenty-five patients being suspected of having significant CAD were examined applying a standard high dose dobutamine/atropine stress magnetic resonance protocol (1.5 Tesla scanner, Philips, The Netherlands). All patients underwent invasive coronary angiography as the standard of reference for the presence (CAD+, n=13) or absence (CAD-, n=12) of significant CAD. Findings During low dose dobutamine stress, systolic (circumferential shortening; systolic rotation; systolic rotation velocity) and diastolic (velocity of circumferential lengthening; diastolic rotation velocity) parameters changed significantly in CAD- patients (all p<0.05 vs rest), but not in CAD+ patients. Identification of CAD- and CAD+ patients during low dose stress was possible using the diastolic parameter of time to peak untwist. At high dose stress, none of the global systolic or diastolic parameters showed the potential to identify the presence of significant CAD. Interpretation With myocardial tagging, a quantitative analysis of systolic and diastolic function was feasible during low and high dose dobutamine stress. The diastolic parameter of time to peak untwist as assessed during low dose dobutamine stress was found to be the most promising global parameter for the identification of patients with significant CAD. Thus, quantitative myocardial tagging may become a tool which reduces the need for high dose dobutamine stress.