Experimental research was performed on the multiple current peaks (MCP) in atmospheric pressure glow dielectric barrier discharge in helium. In a MCP discharge sequence, the next discharge pulse is always affected by the previous one. The accumulated charges on the dielectric plate play an important role in the MCP formation. In addition, two discharge modes, glow and Townsend discharge modes, can be observed in a MCP discharge sequence. The discharge mode tends to convert from glow to Townsend discharge mode when increasing the applied voltage, decreasing the gas gap and reducing driving frequency, respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.