A continuous measure of phasic electrodermal activity is proposed to accurately assess sympathetic activity by separating skin conductance (SC) data into tonic and phasic components. The method uses nonnegative deconvolution to extract a phasic driver signal with a zero baseline and distinct, compact impulses, representing individual skin conductance responses (SCRs). This approach addresses the limitations of traditional trough-to-peak analysis, which is hindered by overlapping SCRs. The phasic driver signal is integrated over a response window to provide a continuous indicator of event-related sympathetic activity. The method was validated through an experiment with varying interstimulus intervals (ISIs) and a simulation study. Results showed that the proposed measure outperformed traditional methods in terms of accuracy and reliability, particularly for short ISIs. The phasic driver signal exhibited distinct peaks and a stable baseline, reflecting the true nature of SCR activity. The method also accounted for inter-individual variability in SCR shape and provided a more accurate representation of sympathetic activity. The study demonstrated that the proposed measure is effective in capturing the true amplitude and timing of SCR responses, even in cases of close superposition. The results suggest that the continuous phasic driver signal is a more reliable indicator of sympathetic activity than traditional peak detection methods. The method was further validated through a simulation study, which confirmed its effectiveness in handling overlapping SCRs. The findings support the use of the proposed continuous measure for more accurate and reliable assessment of sympathetic activity in electrodermal research.A continuous measure of phasic electrodermal activity is proposed to accurately assess sympathetic activity by separating skin conductance (SC) data into tonic and phasic components. The method uses nonnegative deconvolution to extract a phasic driver signal with a zero baseline and distinct, compact impulses, representing individual skin conductance responses (SCRs). This approach addresses the limitations of traditional trough-to-peak analysis, which is hindered by overlapping SCRs. The phasic driver signal is integrated over a response window to provide a continuous indicator of event-related sympathetic activity. The method was validated through an experiment with varying interstimulus intervals (ISIs) and a simulation study. Results showed that the proposed measure outperformed traditional methods in terms of accuracy and reliability, particularly for short ISIs. The phasic driver signal exhibited distinct peaks and a stable baseline, reflecting the true nature of SCR activity. The method also accounted for inter-individual variability in SCR shape and provided a more accurate representation of sympathetic activity. The study demonstrated that the proposed measure is effective in capturing the true amplitude and timing of SCR responses, even in cases of close superposition. The results suggest that the continuous phasic driver signal is a more reliable indicator of sympathetic activity than traditional peak detection methods. The method was further validated through a simulation study, which confirmed its effectiveness in handling overlapping SCRs. The findings support the use of the proposed continuous measure for more accurate and reliable assessment of sympathetic activity in electrodermal research.