Trance-like state

I wasn't exactly sure which topic to post this under but mental health seems the most reasonable to me.  A little while ago (about 7 months ago) my mother started to randomly enter these trance like states.  They last for about 1-3 minutes and come randomly and as far as I know they've only happened about 10 or so times in the last 7 months.  She'll either begin speaking about things that make no sense or do things that make no sense.  One time for example she was with my father at a friend's house, and they were all drinking coffee and talking when my mother suddenly stood and went to the upstairs of the house, when she returned a minute later my father asked her where she went and she replied, "To clean the house."  When my father asked what she meant she had no idea what she said or what she did.

Another example is my mother and father were out and they were sitting in chairs when she suddenly stood up and began to look around puzzled.  She put on her coat and kept looking around.  My father asked what she was doing and she acted as if she didn't recognize him.  He grabbed a hold of her to make sure she didn't go anywhere in that state, and she tried to push my father off.  A minute later she had no idea what had just happened.

Another time (which was actually the first time anyone in my family noticed it happen) I was doing some yard work with my mother when she suddenly started walking off for no apparent reason.  I called out to her a few times with no reply then she turned around and walked back to me.  I asked where she was going and she asked what I meant.  I told her she had walked off in the opposite direction for no reason and wasn't responding to me.  She said no she didn't and asked why I was messing with her.

My father wants to take her to the doctor but we really have no idea what could be wrong with her or what kind of doctor to take her to.  If anyone has an idea at all, help would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Your father should take her to a neurologist because what you are describing probably originates in the brain.  There are many possibilities, and I don't want to burden you with speculation, but it is quite certain that this is a brain disease problem.

[PB182]

Thank you very much for the response it is a large help.