Methods for identifying and quantifying recurrent and deterministic
patterns in digital images are provided. The methods, which are based on
Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA), generate similarity or
dissimilarity distance matrices for digital images that may be used to
calculate a variety of quantitative characteristics for the images. Also
provided are methods for identifying and imaging spatial distributions of
time variable signals generated from dynamic systems. In these methods a
time variable signal is recorded for a plurality of area or volume
elements into which a dynamic system has been sectioned and RQA is used
to calculate one or more RQA variables for each of the area or volume
elements, which may then be used to generate a two or three dimensional
image displaying the spatial distribution of the RQA variables across the
system.