We investigated scan-rescan reproducibility of human habenula susceptibility measurement using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) at a 0.5x0.5x0.8 mm3 resolution. Although previously reported paramagnetic enhancement in the habenula (Schenck et al., ISMRM 2015) was confirmed, the paramagnetic center was highly localized within the habenula mass to make the susceptibility quantification vulnerable to partial volume effects. This appeared to limit the reproducibility of peak susceptibility measurements in the habenula to 10~40%, with significant variation among subjects. High resolution scans and reliable coil combination of phase data would be needed to make QSM a more reliable tool for human habenula characterization.
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