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In the context of aging, \u201cflatter\u201d trait aperiodic activity is associated with poorer visual working memory performance. Here, we causally test the role of aperiodic neural activity in visual working memory in younger adults. We introduce a novel noninvasive neurostimulation method \u2013 transcranial random aperiodic stimulation (tRAS) \u2013 to causally manipulate aperiodic activity to be either steeper or flatter. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover neurostimulation design (n = 30), we show that online noninvasive tRAS improves visual working memory precision when aperiodic activity is causally steepened. Our novel stimulation method paves the way for causal studies of non-oscillatory, aperiodic activity in human cognition, aging, and disease.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.64898\/2026.09.08.750163","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T22:35:22Z","timestamp":1789425322000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Transcranial Random Aperiodic Stimulation Improves Working Memory Precision"],"prefix":"10.64898","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7488-211X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Quirine","family":"van Engen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2251-3643","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Justin","family":"Riddle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Florida State University"},{"name":"Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1640-2525","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bradley","family":"Voytek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego"},{"name":"Hal\u0131c\u0131o\u011flu Data Science Institute, University of California, San Diego"},{"name":"Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego"},{"name":"Kavli institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"54368","reference":[{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1736359"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-psych-010814-015031"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0963721409359277"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/h0043158"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/bul0000046"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/bioengineering10030372"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2013.08.003"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1460-9568.2002.01975.x"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0165-0173(98)00056-3"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fnsys.2015.00173"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10548-014-0361-y"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2016.04.035"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2012.05.021"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.22001"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pbio.2005348"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12671-020-01393-8"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.2340-24.2025"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pneurobio.2008.09.005"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.77348"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2506418122"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41562-026-02503-7"},{"key":"2026091723151286000_2026.09.08.750163v1.22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"T. 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