T1 and T2 relaxation of excised frog sciatic nerve water was characterized at 7 T. Based on these findings, optimal timings for multiple inversion-recovery magnetization preparations were determined to selectively excite the so-called myelin-water T2 component. Subsequent double inversion-recovery and triple inversion-recovery preparations were used in combination with CPMG acquisitions to experimentally determine optimal timings and effect of the preparation. Using double inversion-recovery, optimal timings were found to excite magnetization that is predominantly (approximately 93%) derived from the myelin-water component. Greater selectivity (approximately 96%) was found by extending the preparation to triple inversion-recovery, at the price of decreasing SNR by a factor of approximately 2. Copyright (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.