Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a well-established technique for diagnostic imaging that is now beginning to make an impact on cardiovascular diagnosis in addition to more established applications, such as central nervous system (CNS) imaging. Investigators have used MR imaging to study cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology, including diastolic function, since the clinical introduction of MR imaging in the early 1980s. Although MR imaging has some advantages over other imaging modalities used in the heart, it has not yet achieved widespread use for cardiovascular imaging. Reasons for this are complex, including technical limitations that have only recently been overcome, limited access by cardiovascular practitioners to MR imaging, lack of education, and relatively long examination times with MR imaging. Nonetheless, MR imaging provides multiple ways to assess diastolic function, and many investigators have used it to study diastolic function. Most methods used to assess diastolic function with MR imaging are now mature, leading the way for more routine application of this imaging modality. In this article, the authors present some of the basic techniques used in MR imaging for assessment of diastolic function, followed by a review of current clinical and research applications. The authors also present some newer techniques that may allow closer evaluation of the underlying structure of the myocardium and its influence on diastolic function.