A method, comprising: acquiring image data associated with a selected muscle or group of muscles of one or more subjects by receiving data from a data acquisition device or a data collection, storage or processing device; determining , based on the image data, muscle volume of the selected muscle or group of muscles; calculating , based on the muscle volume and the height and mass of the one or more subjects, a height-mass normalized muscle volume for the selected muscle or group of muscles; determining a deviation of the height-mass normalized muscle volume of the selected muscle or group of muscles from a mean value of muscle volume associated with a corresponding reference muscle or reference group of muscles; and identifying , based on the deviation, a muscle abnormality or absence of a muscle abnormality in the selected muscle or group of muscles, wherein the one or more subjects comprise a plurality of subjects, each subject having a muscle abnormality in the respective selected muscle or group of muscles, and wherein the method further comprises generating a profile indicating a pattern of muscle abnormality across the plurality of subjects, wherein generating the profile comprises grouping the plurality of subjects based on particular patterns of muscle abnormality across a predetermined plurality of muscles of each respective one of the plurality of subjects, wherein generating the profile comprises using non-biased functions for determining the profile, the non-biased functions including hierarchical clustering of the plurality of subjects, and wherein the hierarchical clustering comprises multi-dimensional hierarchical clustering of the plurality of subjects based on the amount or degree of muscle abnormality across a predetermined plurality of muscles. acquiring image data associated with a selected muscle or group of muscles of one or more subjects by receiving data from a data acquisition device or a data collection, storage or processing device; determining , based on the image data, muscle volume of the selected muscle or group of muscles; calculating , based on the muscle volume and the height and mass of the one or more subjects, a height-mass normalized muscle volume for the selected muscle or group of muscles; determining a deviation of the height-mass normalized muscle volume of the selected muscle or group of muscles from a mean value of muscle volume associated with a corresponding reference muscle or reference group of muscles; and identifying , based on the deviation, a muscle abnormality or absence of a muscle abnormality in the selected muscle or group of muscles, wherein the one or more subjects comprise a plurality of subjects, each subject having a muscle abnormality in the respective selected muscle or group of muscles, and wherein the method further comprises generating a profile indicating a pattern of muscle abnormality across the plurality of subjects, wherein generating the profile comprises grouping the plurality of subjects based on particular patterns of muscle abnormality across a predetermined plurality of muscles of each respective one of the plurality of subjects, wherein generating the profile comprises using non-biased functions for determining the profile, the non-biased functions including hierarchical clustering of the plurality of subjects, and wherein the hierarchical clustering comprises multi-dimensional hierarchical clustering of the plurality of subjects based on the amount or degree of muscle abnormality across a predetermined plurality of muscles. <EOS>