longitudinal relaxation
Definition: in nuclear magnetic resonance, the return of the magnetic dipoles of the hydrogen nuclei (magnetization vector) to equilibrium parallel to the magnetic field, after they have been flipped 90°; varies in rate in different tissues, taking up to 15 s for water.
See: TI
Synonym(s): spin-lattice relaxation, spin-spin relaxation
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Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.

