A cross-sectional study of cerebral blood flow (CBF) levels in 268 neurologically normal volunteers contrasting nonsmokers, smokers who quit, and current cigarette smokers indicated that subjects who quit smoking had significantly higher cerebral perfusion levels than subjects who had continued to smoke but remained lower than subjects without a history of cigarette smoking. All subjects were matched for age and sex, and smoking groups were matched for duration and amount of smoking. A prospective study of 11 subjects who were able to stop smoking in which CBF levels were available both antecedent to and following cessation of the habit indicated that significant gains occurred in cerebral perfusion levels within one year following cessation of smoking. A control group of 22 subjects who continued to smoke (matched for age, sex, duration of smoking, and duration of time between baseline and follow-up) showed no change in CBF values. A correlation between magnitude of CBF change and duration of cessation of cigarette smoking demonstrated a significant linear increase in CBF during the one-year period. These results suggest that elderly individuals who have smoked for three to four decades can benefit substantially by abstaining from cigarette smoking and that significant improvement in cerebral circulation occurs within a relatively short period.