Abstract: In certain aspects, a method includes analyzing a single 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan associated with a blood vessel of a patient, wherein the MRI scan is taken at an initial time point. The method includes determining a critical threshold beyond which an area of the blood vessel in the MRI scan fluctuates unboundedly under infinitesimal perturbations. The method includes selecting a base flow comprising a periodic limit cycle following a pulsatile waveform of blood pressure over a cardiac cycle associated with the blood vessel in the MRI scan. The method includes generating a flutter parameter for describing an onset of an instability triggering fluttering of a vessel wall of the blood vessel in the MRI scan, wherein generating the flutter parameter is based on at least the analyzing of the single 4D flow MRI scan, determining the critical threshold, and the selecting the base flow.