Sentence:  In view of the important role which emotional disturbances play in the genesis of neurotic and psychotic <WSD>disorders</WSD> and the parallelism observed between autonomic states and psychological behavior in several instances , it is further suggested that a hypothalamic imbalance may play an important role in initiating mental changes . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning