Magnetic stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex dissociates fragile visual short-term memory from visual working memory

► Recent studies suggest the existence of a fragile form of visual short-term memory. ► We test whether this fragile VSTM is an expression of visual working memory. ► TMS of the right DLPFC reduced working memory capacity, but not fragile VSTM capacity. ► Thus, fragile VSTM does not depend on the same neural substrate as working memory. ► DLPFC activity predicted the reduction in working memory capacity caused by TMS.